Hon. Evans Bipi Says he is new Speaker Rivers Assembly, blames Governor Rotimi Amaechi for the Crisis in the House

The new Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Evans Bipi, said 16 out of 25 Members sitted elected him as Speaker.

Evans stated that the purported sitting of the House under Hon. Otelemaba Amachree was belated.

“I am the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. I have 5 as my trust members, but unknown to Otelemaba Amachree, some of them are for me. Not all the 27 are for him. Some are grieved. Some are not happy with the situation so they joined my 5 and voted for me. We are 25 in the hall and 16 voted for me. Already he has been impeached so there is no way he will convey a meeting, if he does, then it is medicine after death. He is trying to redeem his image because he has lost credibility,” Evans said in a telephone interview.

Evans Bipi who said he has no intentions to impeach Governor Amaechi, however, said he will do so if the circumstances demand so.

The Speaker also blamed Governor Amaechi for supervising the beating of some Members of the House.

“There is no way I will impeach the governor, but if it calls for it, I will impeach him. But I have no plans of impeaching the governor. His Excellency, Governor Rotimi Amaechi , personally supervised the beating of my colleagues. Such a wonderful governor to be involved in such act is so degrading and embarrassing. He has embarrassed all the Rivers people. How can a governor all the way from Government House come down to House of Assembly to supervise the beating of 5 members of the chamber. They are now lying in the hospitals, some in the clinic.”

Meanwhile the member representing Port Harcourt Constituency 3 in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Victor Ihunwo, has confirmed the impeachment of Speaker of the House, Otelemaba Amachree.

Ihunwo said he was the Speaker pro temple when Otelemaba Amachree was impeached.

“I was the man who conducted the election for the new Speaker.”

Ihunwo said the Speaker was impeached following a vote of no confidence passed by members over the grounding of activities of the House for the past few months.

“A vote of no confidence was passed on him and the leadership of the House. For the past two to three months we have not sat. That institution is dead,” Ihunwo added.

The Speaker pro temple also blamed Governor Amaechi for the crisis that engulfed the House after the election of Evans Bipi as the new Speaker.

“That was when Governor came with his men and supervised them beat Hon. M.O. Chinda. He watched them hit M.O. Chinda to that point.”

Reacting to the impeachment, the embattled Speaker of the House, Otelemaba Amachree, debunked his alleged impeachment and the leadership of the Assembly.

 He stated this while briefing newsmen at the Government House, Port Harcourt. He further said disciplinary actions must be taken against the 5 anti Amaechi lawmakers when the House reconvenes.

Still on the election of the new Speaker, Evans Bipi, the deputy legal adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Emma Ochie, has described the impeachment of the Speaker, Otelemaba Amachree, as a welcome development.

Emma accused the State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of escalating the crisis on the floor of the House debunked the allegation that only 5 Members of the Assembly impeached the Speaker.

He said the decision was to bring back the Assembly on track.

“It is not 5 members that sat, there were 25 sitting and 16 voted that he should be removed,” Emma said.

Also, the Elders Forum, All Progressive Grand Alliance in Rivers state congratulated the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Evan Bipi.

A statement by the media director of the group, Obidimma Obidimma, while commending the lawmakers for the change in the leadership, urged them to restore the sacked chairman and councilors of the Obio/ Akpor Local Government Council.