We Have no Hand in Police Takeover of LG Secretariats - APC

Text of Press Briefing by Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside

We Have no Hand in Police Takeover of Rivers LG Secretariats - APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has dismissed
claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that APC is behind the
takeover of Local Government Secretariats in the State by the Police.
Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said in a statement
issued Sunday morning in the State capital, Port Harcourt: “The
accusation is watery, baseless and without foundation. APC as a party
has nothing to do with the Police taking over the LG Secretariats in
Rivers State. We are not a lawless party like PDP that used the Police
and other security organs to make the State virtually ungovernable
during their time in power at the centre.”

Dr. Ikanya pointed out that APC has always been known as a party that
respects and advocates strict adherence to the rule of law, saying
there was no way it would suddenly turn around to do otherwise. His
words:

“The memory of how the lawless PDP-led Federal Government under the
watch of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan used the Police to harass, intimidate
and hound then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi and APC leaders in Rivers State
remains ever fresh. PDP leaders in the State clapped and danced when
their leader, Chief Nyesom Wike, murdered the rule of law through the
infamous CP Joseph Mbu. He heartlessly dispersed 13,000 teachers who
gathered to receive their employment letters, aided the five renegade
lawmakers to attempt the impeachment of the then Speaker of the Rivers
State House of Assembly, barricaded and sealed the State Assembly for
one legislative year and even blocked the access road to the
Government House on one occasion, preventing Governor Amaechi and his
visitors from using the road. It was the same Wike who as a junior
Minister and with the backing of the then lawless First Lady Patience
Jonathan ordered his thugs to stone State Governors who visited Rivers
in solidarity with Amaechi for the humiliation he suffered under the
watchful eyes of then-President Jonathan. Wike later used the police
and the army to forcefully break into the newly constructed stadium
just to prove his powers.

“Having unequivocally condemned such excesses, there is no way we as a
party could possibly turn around to instigate the Police under the
new, law-abiding administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, to walk
the path of infamy as was the case during the discredited Jonathan
administration. In any case, even if we haboured any such thoughts, it
wouldn’t have been possible to execute it under the present
dispensation as the President Buhari Administration is not running a
lawless government as was the case during the time of Dr. Jonathan and
could not have directed the Police to embark upon any illegal act.”

While restating Rivers APC’s rejection of the controversial order by
Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt sacking
the 22 LG Chairmen elected during the Amaechi era, Rivers APC stressed
that it will follow constitutionally approved judicial processes to
seek justice in the matter. The party commended the Police for acting
promptly to forestall the breakdown of law and order following Justice
Akanbi’s unpopular judgement. It vowed “to do everything lawful to
ensure that our elected LG councils are not in any way humiliated out
of office.” It called for calm while reassuring the good people of
Rivers State that the mandate they gave APC to administer the LG
councils would be retrieved and restored in due time.
Signed

Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,

SSA Media and Public Affairs to the State Chairman, APC Rivers State

2
Text of Press Briefing by Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside
Courtesies

I have watched with keen interest the Government of Rivers State led
by Chief Nyesom Ezebunwon Wike for sometime, acknowledging that they
were imposed on our people by the sheer pleasure of a lady, mindless
impunity and brute force. I had hoped that the government would chart
the path of peace, unity and progress with the aim of earning the
much-needed credibility but fellow Rivers men and women have been
disappointed.

Unfortunately, they have taken the silence and peaceful disposition of
our people as a sign of weakness and licence to behave irresponsibly.

The average politician will expect me to keep quiet and focus on the
legal process of addressing the wrong done to the moral of the
democratic fibre of Rivers people. I have given deep thought to this
and have chosen to discard the path of comfort and to speak up
whenever the need arises.

To ignore what is going on will be a great disservice to Rivers people
whom I have volunteered to serve and who gave their all despite the
fact that they were, with associated violence, denied the basic right
of casting their votes.

If I choose the path of comfort and self-preservation, history will
not be kind to me. Posterity will judge my actions and inactions. No
government has contaminated our political and moral environment like
the Wike-led government has done, starting from the campaign era to
the present. Nor has any government been characterized by dishonesty,
self-inflicted credibility problems, violence and vendetta, like this
one.

No Government that chooses this path can earn the trust of the people.
This is the reason why no responsible elder or founding father of the
state wants to be associated with this government.

Some of my immediate concerns, which have necessitated this press
conference, are:

1. Too much dishonesty on the path of the government to hoodwink
Rivers people. For instance, allegations of empty coffers a spurious
tale as even Mr. Wike by his own admission has been announcing various
funds that he located in different government accounts. His false
claim of using Julius Berger for the refilling of pot holes when what
he has been using local contractors and paying them peanuts. His use
of the Berger name was simply a red herring to enable him to loot
public funds.

2. Six weeks after assuming office, the government has not made one
single policy statement, rather it appointed the Nimi Walson Jack
committee to design a blueprint for the running of government after it
had taken off. A move that suggests we have the case of a rudderless
state manned by persons whose only bond to the state is to siphon away
our resources.

3. The mindless pursuit of vendetta against individuals, chasing of
shadows and brazen impunity against the long-term interest of the
state.

4. Obvious lack of commitment to the development of Rivers State. A
case in point is the security situation, which has continued to
deteriorate with criminality promoted at the expense of the safety of
our people. Kidnapping and armed robbery are now rooted and government
is doing nothing.

5. Poor understanding of public finance and questionable management of
public funds as is evidenced in the borrowing of N30bn (Thirty billion
Naira in 30 days)

6. Elevation of impunity to a new level and crass manipulation of
institutions as exemplified by the needless local government council
crises being orchestrated by the government.

7. Illegal dissolution of state institutions created by the
constitution with tenured security. Ready examples include the Rivers
State Independent Electoral Commission, Local Government Service
Commission, Civil Service Commission and the Rivers State House of
Assembly Commission.

8. Proliferation of arms. Too many guns and small arms are in the
state with Government looking on and doing nothing, giving criminals a
free rein.
I had hoped that this government would take a cue from the Buhari
administration but it is becoming obvious by the day that the Wike
government does not intend to tow the path of honour and statesmanship
and therefore does not deserve the trust of Rivers people.

On our path, we are duty-bound to protect our state and the interest
of all our people and those who reside here. It is that call of duty
and with the highest sense of responsibility that has compelled me to
speak up.

Let us with continuing, unwavering faith in the True God and
confidence in our judicial institutions, trust that we shall soon see
the end of this era of impunity, directionlessness and crass disregard
for the rights of our people and the constitution of our nation.
Regardless of the darkness that has enveloped our state, we know that
there is light at the end of the tunnel and we vow to leave no stone
unturned until our people have reached their well-deserved Eldorado.

I thank you all for listening.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

God bless Rivers State.
ends

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