The Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, on Saturday led prominent leaders in Rivers State to visit the injured member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Michael Chinda, in a London hospital.
Chinda representing Obio/Akpor State Constituency 2 was attacked by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, during a fracas in the chambers of the House on July 9, 2013.
The lawmaker, who sustained injuries on his head and jaw, was subsequently flown abroad by the state Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, for further treatment.
Others that visited the injured lawmaker at the Bupa Cromwell Hospital in London, according to a statement, were a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Austin Opara; President of Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali (SAN); former National Treasurer of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Kenneth Kobani, ex-Transport minister, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, Obuah and a former commissioner in the state, Mr. Bonny Iyaye.
The stakeholders expressed gratitude to God for the Chinda’s survival despite the vicious attack on him by Lloyd.
They, condemned Lloyd’s action and said such violence must not be witnessed again in the state.
Speaking after the visit to the injured lawmaker Wike called on the constituents of the lawmaker to remain calm; saying justice would be done in the matter.
He said: “It is very unfortunate that such injury could be inflicted on a fellow human being. I remember that the man who carried out this barbaric act claimed that some people don’t have integrity.
“We can now see the kind of integrity he has. We are happy that the honourable member is alive. I want to call on his constituents and I am one of them, to remain calm. I know how dear Chinda is to them, but at the end of the day, justice will be done,” the minister said.
Similarly, Opara expressed happiness that the lawmaker’s health had stabilised.
Opara described as unfortunate a situation where Governor Rotimi Amaechi was yet to see anything wrong with the injuries inflicted on the lawmaker.
Sekibo also decried the injury inflicted on Chinda and called on well meaning Nigerians to condemn such pre-meditated act of violence in the interest of the nation’s political growth.
Also, Obuah said despite the attack on a lawmaker by the House Majority Leader, the state governor had not asked after the welfare of the lawmaker.
He said Amaechi rather chose to host series of solidarity visits from governors at the expense of the depleting resources of the state.