A collection of erstwhile Speakers in the country of demanded for the removal of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubarkar following the allegedly unwholesome act of the policemen who were said to have denied Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi access into his Government house in Port Harcourt.
The Chairman of the Former Speakers’ Forum and ex-Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong demanded on behalf of the forum that the National Assembly should call for the resignation of Abubakar as a matter of urgency.
The former speakers described the situation as “lawlessness” in Rivers State.
Lalong said the police may have acted on a directive from the State Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu, who takes his instructions from the Abubakar. It would be recalled that Mbu had stated that his actions were a result of “order from above”.
“I don’t think it is really of police overzealousness but the police are controlled by higher authorities, so if that is what is happening, I think people should collectively call for the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police, he is the highest-ranking police officer, so we should believe that the Police Commissioner (Joseph Mbu) is taking instruction from the Inspector General of Police,” Lalong said.
Former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and ex-Senator Olorunimbe Mamora also condemned the act while expressing sadness at the Police’s action, recalling that Governor Rotimi Amaechi made the detour to get to the Government House with his guests because he is a responsible citizen.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mrs. Angela Agabe told a report in the state that it was not true that the governor was barred from entering Government House.
“Police could not have blocked Governor Amaechi from entering the Government House. The secretariat is about three kilometers to the Government House.
“That story is not true that we blocked the governor. We merely acted according to the intelligence report we had.
“A group of persons went and hoisted flags at a property at 36 Forces Avenue. When we had this intelligence report, we reacted immediately to prevent the breakdown of law and order,” she explained.
However, Rivers State Police Command had also officially explained that the new secretariat of the New People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was sealed on Thursday and it coincided with the movement of the Governor, Rotimi Amaechi who saw it as being blocked from entering Government House.
“About 11 Police vans were used to fence off the Forces Avenue where the secretariat is located and could not be found the next day after an alarm was raised by the government”, the police explained.
Police also clarified that the secretariat had to be sealed up because “we had an intelligent report that there was a threat of possible clash between a group that hoisted the PDP flags and those who are supporters of the other group”.
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