Anti-Amaechi lawmakers deny impeachment plot
JUNE 2, 2013
Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi
CONTRARY to claims in some quarters, five lawmakers believed to be against Governor Rotimi Amaechi in the current crisis rocking the state, have denied plans to impeach the governor.
The lawmakers said they were only concerned about the suspension of Obio/Akpor local government Chairman, Mr. Timothy Nsirim, the vice-chairman and 17 councillors of the area.
Spokesman for the lawmakers, Mr. Evans Bibi, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH in a telephone interview, maintained that they had never contemplated removing the governor.
Bibi explained that rather than impeaching Amaechi, they (five lawmakers) would advise him to do the right thing by recalling the suspended chairman of the council and others.
He said, “How can you suspend an elected chairman of a local government and go ahead to swear in a caretaker committee? The truth is that, if the chairman was not sacked, then why set up a caretaker committee.
“There is no move to impeach the governor, but he should do the right thing by ensuring that the Obio/Akpor Council chairman and others suspended are recalled. He (Amaechi) should also recognise the Felix-Obuah led executive of the state PDP.”
Calling on Amaechi to prevail on the leadership of the House to pay them their outstanding allowances, Bibi pointed out that they (five lawmakers) had been deprived of their security votes, constituency project allowances and other imprests.
Responding, the Press Secretary to Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Jim Okpiki, said the money due to the five lawmakers would be paid, and attributed the delay in payment to the crisis on the ground.
“The money is there. But as it is now, Mr. Speaker cannot call them to take their allowances due to the issue of trust and security. Even the security of Mr. Speaker was at a time compromised.
“Mr. Speaker is not happy about the crisis and that is why he is calling for the speedy resolution of the matter so that everybody would collect his dues. It is not in the character of the Speaker to withhold anybody’s money,” Okpiki said.
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