The Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Werinipre Seibarugu, was on Wednesday inaugurated as the acting governor amid tight security.
Before his inauguration, soldiers and policemen were deployed in the Government House, Yenagoa, following the tension that arose with the emergence of another speaker of the Assembly.
The tension worsened with news that a Yenagoa High Court granted a request by a group loyal to Mr. Ebiotu Seleketimiebi, who was on Tuesday elected new speaker, to stop the inauguration of Seibarugu.
The Court of Appeal in Port Hacourt, Rivers State had on Tuesday sacked Governor Timipre Sylva and ordered that the speaker be inaugurated as governor.
Sixteen out of the 24 members of the Assembly attended the inauguration, which took place at the Conference Hall of the Governor�s Office in the Government House.
Sylva and his former deputy, Mr. Peremobowei Ebebi, among others, attended the brief ceremony, which was performed by the state�s Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri.
A member of the state Assembly said that Seleketimiebi, who is believed to be the choice of Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, would have been inaugurated as the acting governor, if the supporters of Sylva and some militants had not played smart.
The lawmaker claimed that some militants who got the direct line of President Umaru Yar�Adua called him and threatened that they-would resume hostage taking, if Seibarugu was not inaugurated as acting governor.
He added that they also sent many text messages to the President, who in-turn forwarded same to Jonathan. The President, who is currently in Germany for medical treatment, was said to have directed that Seibarugu be inaugurated with immediate effect.
Seibarugu, in his speech, described his inauguration as an intervention of God in the affairs of men.
The acting governor said, �In spite of the unfortunate event, this is not a moment to celebrate or to cast stones at one another, but a moment that calls for deep reflection on how best we can work collectively towards realising our quest for building a greater tomorrow.
�No matter the temporary change of baton of leadership, one thing we should always remind ourselves of the fact that we are a people bound by a common destiny, a common history of poverty, a common problem of hunger and a common problem of neglect, no matter our political divide.
�Rather than witch-hunt and engage in acts that would tear us apart in the name of politics, this occasion should once more provide us the opportunity to think collectively on proffering solutions to the task of building a united, secured and prosperous Bayelsa State.
�As I assume duty in the capacity of acting governor, one thing I want to assure Bayelsans is that I will not fail to serve you conscientiously, transparently and with the highest sense of responsibility, and total deference to the oath of service I have sworn before you.
�Apart from consolidating on our democratisation process, maintaining absolute peace and security, which is the primary responsibility of a state, remains my priority.�
He assured Bayelsans that he would not discriminate against any individual or group because the entire state remained his constituency.
Our correspondent gathered that the failure by the Chief Judge to show up at the Government House at 9am when the ceremony was billed to commence led to confusion in Yenagoa.
With the confusion and tension, armed soldiers and riot policemen took over the state Government House, to forstall breakdown of law and order.
Three Armoured Personnel Carriers belonging to the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta were positioned at the entrance to the seat of power, while a police APC was inside.
The security operatives restricted movement and searched vehicles going out of the complex to prevent looting of cash and valuable property.
While the waiting for the Chief Judge lasted, Justice Kate Adokeme, in company with the Chief Registrar, Mr. Young Ogola, arrived around 10.55am to inaugurate Seibarugu. They later changed their minds and quietly left. But Seibarugu insisted on being inaugurated.
Shortly before 2.45pm, the Chief Judge appeared and immediately moved to the Presidential Lodge, where she met with the ousted governor and Ebebi.
A top government source said Abiri insisted that she must see a certified true copy of the appellate court�s judgment, where she was ordered to inaugurate the speaker.
A team of top Bayelsa government officials was then dispatched with a chopper to Port Harcourt to obtain the CTC.
Seibarugu was removed as speaker on Tuesday over alleged financial recklessness, forgery, corruption, incompetence and disregard for the rule of law.
Mr. Ebamughan Empere, who moved the motion for his removal, alleged that he was reckless with funds andwas being high-handed.
The motion, which was seconded by Mr. Delight Igali, was unanimously adopted by 11 other lawmakers in Seleketimieb�s camp.
Other newly-elected principal officers of the House include Opusiri Otobo, Majority Leader; Konbowei Benson, Deputy Leader; Mr. Dein Benadoumene, Chief Whip; and Chief Victor Sam-Ateki, Deputy Chief Whip.
Sixteen out of the 24 lawmakers had on February 18, 2008, removed Seibarugu and Binabo and elected Seleketimiebi as the speaker pro-tempore.
The Seibarugu group also sat the same day and suspended six members perceived to be behind the crisis.
In the evening of February 18, a stakeholders� meeting chaired by the vice-president, Sylva and other top officials of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state resolved that the status quo be maintained.
The meeting consequently set up a four-member committee, headed by Jonathan to harmonise the grey areas arising from the suspension and removal of some members of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the state Director of the State Security Service, Mr. Mike Fubara, on Wednesday, stopped a pro-Sylva rally, for security reason.
Fubara and some other SSS officials later moved round major media houses in Yenagoa to prevail on journalist not to cover such a rally.