•Berates Amaechi for criticizing President
Chigozie Amadi
The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has alerted the Presidency that “the State is at War”, thereby calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in the State, Chief Tony Okocha, made the call in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, while briefing journalists on the crisis in the state which has claimed three lives, a police officer, vigilante member and one Mr. Endwell Awunze, in Omuma and Ahoada East Councils of the state respectively, between Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th June, 2024.
Okocha stressed the need for immediate action by Federal Government, stressing that if the state goes aflame, the nation’s economy would suffer, following state’s strategic role in the nation’s economy.
He said both the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and the Police in the state are helpless and cannot tame the situation, and called for deployment of the military to strategic areas of the state to tame the mayhem, and stop the escalation of the crisis and prevent further loss of lives and destruction of properties.
He said, “Rivers State is at war, and who are the dramatis personae responsible for the mayhem that has claimed 3 lives? They are Governor Siminalayi Fubara versus Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“The governor is helpless, the Police is helpless. Therefore the APC in Rivers State is calling for a state of emergency in Rivers State as a way of taming the mayhem, and the upsurge that is going on in the state. I call on the federal government to act fast in this regard.”
He stated that the crisis in the state would have been avoided if the governor had listened to the President’s advice against appointing Caretaker Committees for the 23 LGAs of the state, following the expiration of the tenures of the elected council chairmen on Monday 17th June.
“The Governor does not take counsel. If the President of the country in a well constituted meeting should advise him that that nomenclature called caretaker committees should not be encouraged, if he disobeyed Mr President, who will now come to our rescue?
“In January, 2024, Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, held a meeting with the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, and in that meeting, the chairman said that they are aware of what the law says on local government elections, and they are ready for election but they need the permission of the executive (the government).
“Now what is happening today in the state? The Governor has made himself and the state vulnerable and now we are susceptible to attacks.
“Now, Rivers State in a state of war because the governor does not listen to counsel, even the counsel of Mr. President.
“APC Rivers State is demanding for state of emergency. It is the way out so that we can live in peace, because it would be too late to cry when the head is cut off.
“Let the army be deployed to takeover strategic places, let this moribund government be sent to the abyss and let Rivers State heave a sigh of relief otherwise, we’ll be crying when the head is off”.
Speaking further, he said, “It is better for the President to wade in now before it becomes too late. The federal government should do what it should do so that it won’t get to a situation were we would be seeing fire everywhere.
“It’s better right now that we are able to assuage this very ugly scenario before the state would go aflame. They have unleashed non-state actors and they brandish guns without restrictions, the boys have been let loose and you will see the level of criminality in the state would be so unimaginable,” he said.
Chief Tony Okocha also berated the governor for rushing to institute caretaker committees in across the 23 LGAs of the state when a matter concerning local government autonomy is pending before the Supreme Court and another judgement expected by the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
He accused the governor of striving in illegality by using an a 3-man Assembly that’s not properly constituted to screen and swear-in caretaker committees.
The Rivers APC Chairman also used the medium to dissociate the party in Rivers State from a comment credited to their former leader and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi which alleged that 84 percent of Nigerians are not happy with the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He condemned the statement and questioned where Amaechi got his misleading statistics from, adding that the statement does not represent the position of Rivers APC.
He said Amaechi had never supported the President Tinubu’s administration right from when he was contesting as a candidate, and even made it difficult for the party to campaign for him in Rivers State, so is not expecting to speak good of him.
“We are here to ask Amaechi how he generated that data. It is false as far as we are concerned, and we use this opportunity as a party in the state to say to Nigerians and to let Mr. President know that he (Amaechi) spoke for himself and not for the APC Rivers State.
“That his personal animosity and idiosyncracy cannot override the interest of APC in Rivers State.
“We dissociate APC Rivers State from that unkind comment made by our former leader Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and to say that Rivers people and Nigerians support Mr President,” he stated.
IG condemns violence in Rivers, orders probe into officers’ killing
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has condemned the outbreak of violence and breakdown of law and order at various Local Government Council secretariats in Rivers State.
The clash happened on Tuesday in Port Harcort, the state capital, over the tenure of Local Government Council Chairmen in the state, which led to the deaths of a police officer and a vigilante member.
In a statement on Wednesday by the Force Spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police IG directed the Rivers Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, to heighten security measures across the state.
The IG also ordered a thorough investigation into the killing of the police officer and the vigilante operative and also directed the probe of the general violence which erupted in the state.
Egbetokun also deployed operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to assist the Rivers State Command in apprehending the killers of the police officer and the vigilante member.
The statement reads, “The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, condemns in the strongest terms the recent outbreak of violence and subsequent breakdown of law and order at various Local Government Council secretariats in Rivers State, where supporters of two political factions clashed over the tenure of Local Government Council Chairmen, which unfortunately led to the tragic deaths of a Police Officer – Inspector David Mgbada, and Samuel Nwigwe, a vigilante member at Eberi-Omuma in Omuma LGA.
“In response to these heinous acts, the IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Olatunji Disu, to heighten security measures across the state and institute thorough investigations into the killing of the police officer and the vigilante operative, as well as the general violence which erupted in the state.
“The IGP has specifically deployed operatives of the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) to assist the Rivers State Command in apprehending the killers of the police officer and the vigilante member.
“The IGP seriously warns individuals and groups of people who have a penchant for senseless attacks and mindless killings of police officers and other security operatives across the country to desist forthwith as the fullest force of the law will be meted on them.”
Egbetokun also directed increased patrols, strategic deployment of officers, and enhanced intelligence operations to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of all residents.
He, however, expressed condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the security operatives, stating that their dedication and sacrifice in the line of duty will not be forgotten.
It added, “The CP has also been directed to focus on increased patrols, strategic deployment of officers, and enhanced intelligence operations to prevent further violence and ensure the safety of all residents.
“The IGP extends heartfelt condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased police officer and the vigilante member, noting that their dedication and sacrifice in the line of duty will not be taken for granted.
“The Inspector General of Police calls on all residents and political stakeholders in the State to exercise restraint and seek peaceful means of resolving differences.”
