Millitary deployed to Rivers State

It has been gathered that troop from the Joint Task Force  were deployed  in   Rivers State House of Assembly on Wednesday to prevent a bloody clash between supporters of Governor  Rotimi Amaechi and those of the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike,  in Port Harcourt.

Both groups, comprising mainly youths and those believed to be ex-militants, had gathered at the  Assembly at about 7.30am to witness the sitting of the lawmakers and to know  who would be recognised as the Speaker.

Policemen on the ground at Assembly  watched as the youths argued on the disagreement between the governor and Wike, but a team of JTF operatives, who came in four Hilux vehicles, dispersed them within 10 minutes.

The soldiers fired    tear-gas  canisters,  forcing some  of the protesting youths  to  relocate to the front of the Government House.

An ex-militant, who was among the youths  was arrested by the  riot policemen and taken to the Swift Operation Squad, ostensibly for interrogation. An identification card with an  inscription ‘Amnesty’ was found in his pocket.

One of the pro-Wike youths, Kennedy Mbiere, said they were not happy with the way the state government  disrupted the process of  inuagurating  Mr. Evans Bipi as the new  speaker of the Assembly on Tuesday.

Mbiere  said they were at the Assembly complex  to show solidarity with  Bipi,  arguing   that the governor should not have been there (Assembly)   on Tuesday to prevent an elected Bipi from being  inaugurated.

Also, a pro-Amaechi supporter, who identified himself as Tonye, lamented the interference of Abuja politicians in the affairs of the state.

  “In a democracy, is it possible for five members to impeach the Speaker  of a state House of Assembly  with  32 members? We will not allow that. We are prepared to die than allow that to happen in Rivers State, ” Tonye  said.