Posted by By Emma Amaize and Sam Oyadongha on
SEVEN members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, yesterday, disowned, the impeachment notice, which the Speaker, Peremobowei Ebebi, said on Tuesday, had been served on Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, saying they were made to endorse the document under duress by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
•We acted under duress
YENAGOA - SEVEN members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, yesterday, disowned, the impeachment notice, which the Speaker, Peremobowei Ebebi, said on Tuesday, had been served on Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, saying they were made to endorse the document under duress by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Narrating their ordeal in the hands of the EFCC, one of the members, Nimibofa Ayaowei who escaped to Yenagoa said 15 other members were being held in Abuja against their will.
Speaking at a press conference, yesterday, in Yenagoa, the lawmakers including the immediate past Speaker" Prince Boyelayefa Debekeme;Bright Agagaowei; Steve Ereboh;Waripamowei Dudafa; Johnson Alalibo and Amakiri Etebu noted that the purported impeachment notice was signed under duress, thereby making it unconstitutional and unacceptable to them.
Lamenting what he described as the 'Gestapo" styled operation of the commission, Hon Ayaowei who spoke on behalf of others, noted that he and two other colleagues were made to sign the impeachment notice after being dumped in the cell and allegedly tortured.
Said he, 'It would interest you to note that the last visit was the second time the Bayelsa State House of Assembly have been invited by the EFCC. Being Law abiding citizen, we did honour it but what we saw when we got there was a different ball game.
Members were not even asked any question, we were taken into a hall individually until it gets to my turn so that what happened to the next man you don"t know until you get there yourself.
''Immediately I got in there I was shown an impeachment notice and asked to sign it but I took them bluntly that I was not going to sign. What they did was to throw me into a cell where I met 13 members of the Taraba State House of Assembly including the deputy Speaker incarcerated. The implication is that it is just like Gestapo and in old days of spy operation in Russia. That is what is going on in this country.""
He noted that at about 9.30 pm they were brought out from the cell at the time the purported impeachment moved was been displayed on the NTA network news that 17 members have signed adding that later joined under duress.
Describing the governor"s travails as political Hon Ayaowei said if members could be made to sign document under duress then it means the allegations against the governor could also be doctored and wondered why the Attorney General and Minister of Justice would be so interested in calling on the British government not to ensure the return of the governor back the country.