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Impeachment: Wike will meet his Wateloo, Tinubu must call him to order – Clark *Rivers CJ suspended
Edison Ehie, enthroned on Monday as the new Speaker by eight of the 32-member Rivers State House of Assembly, has announced the suspension of Simeon Amadi, Chief Judge of the state, as the political raucous in the state over the planned impeachment of Siminalayi Fubara, continues to get louder.
It comes on the same day, the National Leader Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF), Edwin K. Clark, warned President Bola Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), believed to have a hand in the entire saga to order.
Ehie, who was declared speaker after his removal as the Majority Leader by the 24 members loyal to Wike at the beginning of the impeachment process, announced the CJ’s suspension after a sitting of his own faction at the Government House premises, hours after that of those loyal to Wike in a makeshift hall, where they met after which they served impeachment notice on the governor.
Weighing in on the matter, Clark while lampooning Wike, former governor of the state, said he was greatly distressed about his plot to remove the governor, which he said was an unholy move to install another Ikwere governor, which had been ruling the state in the last 24 years of the current democracy.
Peter Odili, who became governor in 1999 and handed over to Rotimi Amaechi before Wike, were all from the same Ikwere stalk with Fubara an Ijaw man, same with Clark, known as the leader of the Ijaw nation, the first non-Ikwere to rule the state.
Riling against the move to remove Fubara, Clark said: “I have been greatly disturbed by the reported developments in Rivers State in the last 24 hours. I have been reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, who has spent only about 5 months in office,” the statement read in part.
“I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike. And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the State. Let me warn strongly, we won’t allow that to happen!
“President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State. Last night, the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly was burnt, in what apparently is part of the plot to destabilise the State.
“The Governor was tear-gassed and was even threatened with being shot at when he visited the Assembly Complex after the incident, to assess the level of damage. We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all.
“Rivers people have suffered enough political crises, the state should not be allowed to degenerate again into its dark past, and the Niger Delta Region by extension. The consequences would be dire for the stability of the region and the National Economy. What has Governor Fubara done wrong? Refusing to be further ‘remote controlled?’
“Nyesom Wike was Governor for 8 years, nobody hassled him. He governed Rivers State like an Emperor, he did not show any iota of respect and regard to anyone, not even those who imposed him on Rivers people in 2015. President Tinubu must act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers State in the interest of his administration, the nation’s democracy, and the Country at large. A word is enough for the wise.”
In a quick riposte on Saturday, Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has cautioned Nigerians to be circumspect in the manner they react to the story of the death of a female student in his home in Ebonyi State, warning against the temptation of jumping to conclusion.
Conveying his position on the highly-volatile matter through Francis Nwaze, his spokesman, Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State and a key figure in the government of President Bola Tinubu, said caution was needed to enable the police conduct unfettered investigation into the matter.
It was his response to breaking of how one Mary Habila, a female physiotherapist reportedly died in his palatial home at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on June 27, hours after arriving the day before.
Nwaze, a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, specifically cautioned against speculations by “tale bearers,” while conveying the Minister’s shock over the matter and his eagerness for the authorities to get at the root of the matter through forensic investigations.
He wrote in the statement: “The attention of the Media Office of the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has been drawn to a publication by a publication concerning the unfortunate passing of Miss Mary Habila in Uburu, Ebonyi State, alleging that the circumstances surrounding her death were shrouded in secrecy.
“The Honourable Minister received the news with profound shock and sadness and has since extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. For the avoidance of doubt, immediately the unfortunate incident occurred, appropriate emergency steps were taken. Medical personnel, including the Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, were contacted without delay, while the Nigeria Police was promptly notified in accordance with the law.
“Following confirmation of Miss Habila’s passing, the Honourable Minister personally received her parents, conveyed his sincere condolences, and advised that an autopsy be conducted to scientifically establish the exact cause of death. At the time, however, the family declined the recommendation.
“It is important to clarify that Miss Mary Habila and Miss Anita Baski are employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, who had been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works as physiotherapists for the past three years until the unfortunate passing of Miss Habila.
“Following the recent developments and in the interest of ensuring that the truth is established beyond doubt, the Honourable Minister has again reiterated his position that an autopsy must be conducted. He remains convinced that this is the most credible and responsible path to resolving all questions surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“We therefore urge the public to exercise restraint, refrain from speculation or premature conclusions, and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their responsibilities without interference. At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of the deceased, and we pray that God grants them the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”
The circumstances that led to the sudden death of Mary Habbila, a Nigerian female student died in the Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, home of Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has now thrown the entire household and environs into serious quandary.
SaharaReporters, which first broke the revealed that the incident, which happened since June 27 this year, has been shrouded in secrecy, with both the Ebonyi State Government and the state police command maintaining silence over the matter.
The incident, the report, added, took place barely a day after Habbila and another woman, Anita Baski, both from Kaduna State, were reportedly brought to the minister’s residence, triggering a police investigation, with the case transferred from the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.
Habbila and Baski reportedly arrived at the minister’s residence on June 26 to “attend” to him, only for Habbila to be found dead inside the residence the following morning under circumstances investigators are still trying to establish.
Police sources were quoted by the paper as saying that Jonathan Bawado, a police officer who serves as Senator Umahi’s Personal Assistant and previously worked as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) during his tenure as Governor of Ebonyi State, alerted medical personnel after Habbila was discovered unresponsive.
Subsequently, a doctor and an ambulance were dispatched to the residence, while Tobechukwu Godwin, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohaozara Police Division, was notified of the incident, the report said, adding that at the hospital Chihurumnanya Alo, a Professor and Consultant Public Health Physician, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu, was also alerted about the incident.
The police who subsequently conveyed Habbila’s body to a mortuary, were said to have handed over the identification tag attached to Habbila’s to the Ebonyi State Police Command by the said DPO, as part of the ongoing investigation.
SaharaReporters, quoted a senior police officer, with knowledge of the case as saying: “The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abakaliki,” but, however declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
Unlike in other cases, security operatives in Nigeria have upped the ante by adding the arrest of perpetrators to the menu of rescue operations, with the announcement of the capture of eight terrorists who participated in the abduction of school teachers and students in Oyo State on May 15.
All the 46 pupils, students and teachers abducted by terrorists from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, regained their freedom on Friday, after about 56 days in captivity, with several others reportedly also neutralised during the operation.
Giving a clue of what transpired during the operation, Bayo Onanuga, who broke the story of the feat, said it was the outcome of sustained security operations, which also foiled the attempt by the abductors to secure the release of one of their captured leaders.
Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, using his X handle to give details about the operation, said: “Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies. In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”
“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon.”
The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed bandits attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, seizing dozens of pupils, students and teachers.
The abduction sparked nationwide outrage, with parents, labour unions, traditional rulers and civil society groups mounting sustained pressure on the authorities to secure the victims’ release.
The incident also triggered an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State over growing insecurity in schools.
President Bola Tinubu had condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to rescue the captives and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The President subsequently dispatched a high-powered Federal Government delegation to the affected communities, approved the deployment of specialised rescue assets and authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across Oyo State.
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