Governor Chibuike
Amaechi of Nigeria’s Rivers state has raised an alarm about his safety
following the withdrawal of soldiers and Armoured Personnel
Carriers,APCs, attached to Government House.
Amaechi,
whose state was rocked by violence at the State House of Assembly on
Tuesday, said that the government and people of the State are under
siege.
He spoke on Thursday when the Senate Committee on State and
Local Government Administration investigating the crisis came to see
him at Government House, Port Harcourt
“Yesterday, they were
shooting tear gas into Government House. When we were meeting with the
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) today, the Police claimed that it was
inadvertent, that they shot tear gas into Government House. So, I asked
one question, supposing, it was live bullet and it hit me, they said,
‘nooo, governor was not outside,’ but I said, I was outside, you can
check”, Amaechi said.
The State Chief Executive also expressed
shock over the sudden withdrawal of soldiers and APCs attached to
Government House, stating that in the last two months, security
commanders in the state have not held meetings with him.
The
Governor complained: “We are under siege here, for two months now, we
have not met with security men. Security Commanders in the state don’t
come to me any longer. They are either scared or they don’t deliberately
want to see me. They withdrew soldiers attached to me yesterday. And
this morning, they withdrew the APC attached to Government House”,
Amaechi said.
Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee on State
and Local Government Administration, Senator Kabiru Gaya said, the
committee was delegated by the Senate to come to Rivers State and
investigate, and find workable solution to the violence and disturbances
rocking the state.
He told the Governor that the Senate had a
meeting or session where a motion was raised by Senator Magnus Abe on
the state of the situation in Rivers State. And the motion was
discussed.
Senator Gaya said the Senate had two hours in the
closed door session to discuss how best to sustain our stable democracy
and how best “we could have the legislators perform their functions
without undue interference”.
He noted that the Senate had condemned the fracas that happened at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Senate mandated the committee to investigate the crisis in the state and that the committee will invite other stakeholders.
“The committee will hear from the Assembly members on both sides, including the Commissioner of Police, the SSS and the JTF.”
Gaya
said the purpose of our mission is to ensure peace return in the state
and to maintain good governance, so that the people in the state will
relax and have peace.