The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree and 26 other lawmakers have dispelled the rumour making the rounds in the state that some of the lawmakers have defected to the camp of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, to prepare the grounds for the impeachment of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Wike is regarded as the leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, rival group in the state.
The 27 legislators in a statement signed by them said they were aware of the rumour that they had been lured with financial gratifications. The statement also denied media reports that Wike had sought the support of 26 other members and had gotten their assurance to defect to the faction.
The statement reads in part: “We have observed with consternation dangerous rumours making the rounds, even appearing on the pages of national dailies that we, the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have been financially induced to impeach His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, CON, Governor of Rivers State, and Chairman Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we make bold to categorically state as follows: that we have not and will not receive any pecuniary gratification or marginal oil field; that we are united in our resolve to commit our unalloyed loyalty to His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike R. Amaechi, Governor and the people of Rivers State.
“That we the undersigned do not contemplate the impeachment of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Chibuike R. Amaechi as an option. “We reiterate our loyalty to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Leader of our great party the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.”
In another development, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday said that it might embark on an indefinite strike in Rivers State. Chairman of Trade Union Congress, TUC, in Rivers State, Chika Onuegbu, who gave indication yesterday in Port Harcourt said that unless the threepoint demand that pushed labour to embark on a twoday warning strike were addressed, labour might proceed on an indefinite strike.
The organised labour, made up of the TUC, the NLC and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, had on May 27 embarked on a warning strike to protest the continued occupation of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Secretariat by the police after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the state government.
The union also demanded the payment of salaries of workers in the local government council for April and May as well as the appointment of a Head of Local Government Administration to oversee the affairs of the Obio/Akpor Council, whose elected chairman, vice-chairman and 17 councillors were suspended by the Rivers State House of Assembly recently.
Onuegbu, who spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt during the state’s one-day delegates’ conference of the TUC Women Commission, with the theme; ‘Women leadership in trade unionism’, said the TUC was ready to join the NLC in a full-scale strike in the state.
He said: “Well, as you are aware, the role of TUC in this strike is that of solidarity. The strike is called for by NLC and TUC gave them the support. I know that NLC will meet, review whether the warning strike has achieved its objectives or not. If it has not achieved and NLC says they will go on indefinite strike action, TUC will give them the support.
That is our commitment from day one. “Our demands are simple. The only problem we have is that people have not taken time to look at our demands. The three reasons why we embarked on strike are all labour issues. We have given our commitment to NLC in writing that we will back them all the way. If they want to go on indefinite strike, we will support them.”
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