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By Henry Umoru & Joseph Erunke ABUJA—THE Senate, yesterday, ordered the National Assembly, which comprises the House of Representatives and the Senate to, as a matter of urgency, take over the legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The Senate in its findings and observations after investigation into the crisis in Rivers State, however, fingered President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan in the  crisis following their perceived undue interference with the political security structure of the state as well as what the Senate committee described as alleged high-handedness of Governor Chibuike Amaechi. According to the Senate yesterday, the take-over of the Rivers House of Assembly was pursuant to Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution(as amended) pending resolution of the lingering political logjam and restoration of peace in the state. Deliberating on the report of the Senate Committee on States and Local Governments Administration on the In...

*As 27 lawmakers pledge support to Amaechi, Amachree BY BEN AGANDE Abuja—Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, said the police high command will investigate the role of the police in the fracas at the Rivers State House of Assembly, saying anybody found to have misbehaved would be held accountable. He said he had dispatched a Deputy Inspector General of Police to Port Harcourt to investigate the situation. The Inspector General of police’s position came on the heels of thorough scrutiny by the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, by his colleague ministers before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House. 35 soldiers withdrawn from Rivers Govt House Meanwhile, a top security source confirmed, yesterday, that 35 military men assigned to protect Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State had been withdrawn from Government House, PortHarcourt. When Vanguard called the Army Public Relations Officer, PRO, in the state, M...

Controversy has continued to trail the mayhem that occurred yesterday at the Rivers State House of Assembly. Here is another video of the fracas.

By Abdulwahab Abdallah, Brith Ogunkilede  & Wilson Yafu Rivers —At least four members of the Rivers State House of Assembly were yesterday brutalised in a fracas that literally painted the walls of the Assembly complex with blood. At the end of the squabble, the group of five legislators opposed to the governor claimed to have removed Speaker Otelemaba Amachree. Their claim was, however, quickly repudiated by 23 members who flocked in support of the speaker. [caption id="attachment_403063" align="alignnone" width="412"] House of trouble—Hon. Evans Bapakaye in a scuffle with Mobile Police officers during the fight at the Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday in Port Harcourt. Photos: Nwankpa Chijioke[/caption] Yesterday’s violent clash happened on the first day of sitting since the political upheaval in the state triggered by removal of the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP from Governor Amaechi about three months ago. Computers and ...