By Gift Chapi Odekina
The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to intervene in the ongoing rift between Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and a member from the state, Fara Dagogo.
This followed a motion presented during plenary on the arrest and detention of the lawmaker over allegations of disrupting the process of sale of nomination and expression of interest forms to aspirants into various political offices by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by a colleague from Rivers, Chisom Dike.
Dogogo was alleged to have sponsored thugs and and cultists to carry out the disruption, a development that reportedly prompted the governor to declare him wanted, and his subsequent arrest and detention.
Dike in his presentation felt that the arrest and detention of his colleague was illegal, praying the House to direct the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali to cause his immediate release.
However, raising a point of order, and citing relevant rules, Kingsley Chinda, also from Rivers State drew attention of Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila that a matter already pending before a law court should not be made reference to, explaining further that the Rivers State Caucus in the House was already making moves for an amicable resolution of the matter. He prayed that the motion be thus, stepped down.
The Speaker who expressed support for an amicable resolution of the dispute, however ruled Chinda out of order on grounds that reference could be made to a matter before the court, but not in a manner that will preempt the outcome.
On this, note, Minority Leader of the House, Ndudi Elumelu called for a resolution mandating the leadership to wade in through diplomacy to address the issues, even as Deputy Speaker Idris Wase asked for details of interventions so far made by the Rivers State Caucus.
“What we’re saying now is how to bail our colleague; it is a bailable offence, more that he has not been arraigned”, Gbajabiamila stated before putting question for voice votes, after which members voted in approval of the intervention.
