Yenagoa – Uneasy calm, yesterday, enveloped Bayelsa State House of Assembly, which Speaker, Mr. Kombowei Benson, was sacked Monday by 16 members of the House and replaced with Mr. Fini Angaye.
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The usually busy Assembly complex was a shadow of itself, as civil servants working in the complex were denied entry by security operatives.
When Vanguard visited the area, four Hilux patrol vans, belonging to the Operations Department of Bayelsa State Police Command, were sighted positioned in front of the two main gates, leading into the complex.
While the aide of the sacked Speaker, Mr. Benson insisted that the impeachment, was carried out under the record time of 30 minutes was illegal and that the embattle Speaker was still in charge of the leadership of the Assembly, the heavily armed detachment of policemen condoned off the complex and stopped staffers and other legislators from entering the premises.
A staff of the complex, who pleaded anonymity said: “Before most of us resumed this morning (yesterday), the policemen had taken over virtually everywhere. They told us point blank that we should go back because nobody would be allowed to enter the premises.”
The car park of the House, which used to be filled with vehicles belonging to the lawmakers and civil servants, was empty, while heavily armed policemen and plain clothes security operatives were spotted patrolling the complex.
It was learnt that the state governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, yesterday, met behind closed doors with the lawmakers over the impeachment of the Speaker.
A source told Vanguard that the sacked Speaker, who flew back to the country last night had lobbied the governor to intervene in reversing his impeachment, which had already been endorsed by over 16 out of the 24-member legislature, yesterday.
BY Samuel Oyadongha
Ban generator importation, Itsekiri Progress Club tells Jonathan
By Neville Amorighoye
Warri—Itsekiri Progress Club, IPC, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to ban the importation of generators into the country.
The group said in a statement in Warri, Delta State, after its meeting, that the power sector remained the live wire of growth in any economy as Nigeria was not an exception.
The statement by Mr Lawrence Ukubeyinje, Publicity Secretary of the group, added that small, medium and large scale industries both commercial and industrial need power to operate, as such it (power) should be developed.
He said: “A situation where public power continues to remain unreliable and enterprenures have to provide their own power makes investment very difficult. Rather than invest in real provision of goods and services, many investors have found the importation and sale of all forms of power generators a safe heaven for their investment and there is no hiding the fact that this takes its toll on the nation’s efforts to develop the power sector.
“Even government establishments resort to generators when public power fails, which government is expected to ensure does not occur. Sabotage has long been with us in Nigeria, therefore, it is a good thing to see our president so much committed to make the power sector work, hence our call on Mr President to prohibit without any delay the importation of gererators.”
