FIGHT IN RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Rivers State Assembly House Leader Chidi Lloyd battering Michael Chinda with a mace is drawing renewed interest following news that the battered lawmaker is in a critical condition and is being flown abroad for treatment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, said in Port Harcourt on Friday that the wounded lawmaker is being flown overseas for medical attention. Michael Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor Constituency II, was injured during a fight on the floor of the state assembly on July 8 (see videos 1 & 2). According to Wike: "The law maker that was brutalized is now being flown overseas because of his critical condition. The person, who committed that crime was the same person who had to go to Government House clinic and laid on a bed to say that he was beaten up. What is important is for Nigerians to know that we will not be scared or be intimidated; we will do what we think is right within the law. We will make sure that Rivers people have the change which they had requested for." Alleging that the State Government has lost control of affairs in the state, Wike said: "You do not need to go to any prophet or native doctor to know this." Ignoring the Minister of State for Education's obviously partisan comments, questions continue to be asked about what happened on Tuesday when fighting broke out in the premises and on the floor of the state assembly. Details of what happened as reported in the news media were at first confused, especially with regard to the actual order or sequence of events. What follows is a reconstruction of what transpired on Tuesday: The Rivers State House of Assembly has 32 members with 27 members having declared loyalty to the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and five members believed to the loyal to the President Goodluck Jonathan and his increasingly politically influential wife Dame Patience Jonathan. According to Digital Journal, local analysts say the crisis in the state legislature has its roots in behind-the-scene scheming by President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife to impeach Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is believed to oppose the president's ambition for a second term in office. The Speaker of the Rivers state House of Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree, is a supporter of Governor Rotimi Amaechi. Amachree had convened a session of the legislature to consider amendments to the 2013 budget. The House, according to some sources, was also expected to pass a vote of no confidence on the state commissioner of police, Mbu Joseph. The five lawmakers opposed to Governor Amaechi arrived at the House about 8 a.m. Also present were the lawmakers supporting the governor: The Speaker Amachree, the House Leader Chidi Lloyd and Azubuike Njoke. As the session began Michael Chinda approached Lloyd. The conversation between the two broke down when Chinda punched Lloyd. Another lawmaker, Evans Bipi, joined in the assault on Lloyd using the tripod for the camera filming events in the chambers as a weapon. Lloyd was reportedly injured in the attack. The pro-Amaechi lawmakers, including Speaker Amaechree, House Leader Lloyd and Njoke, fled the chambers when thugs entered the chambers shouting: "Where is the speaker? Where is the speaker?" A video (below) shows Lloyd giving his version of what transpired, supposedly from "hospital bed": "I was on my seat and without provocation, Bipi came to me in the full glare of everybody and started punching me. As his leader, I did not react because I felt that it was something we could settle; whatever it was, maybe I didn't greet him also. So when that continued, the speaker intervened."

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