…Dakuku Peterside absorbs APC, Amaechi
Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that never again will unscrupulous politicians be allowed to shut down courts in the state as the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi did for three years.
In a state broadcast on Friday, Governor Wike commended Rivers Youths for resisting the Police and claiming that a APC faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who planned to shut down the State High Court over a suit filed by a rival faction.
He said: “We have said in many clear terms that never again will unscrupulous politicians shut our courts for business as they did three years ago and the youths have reaffirmed that this commitment can never be in vain.
“However, while we revel in today’s victory over evil, we must not lower our guards. We should be prepared for more political battles in the days and months ahead, even as I urge our people to be law-abiding and avoid the temptations of taking the laws into your hands.”
The governor warned those whose stock in trade is to continually cause trouble, endanger the peace of the state and task the patience of the people, that there is limit to everything.
He said: “I wish to reassure Rivers people, once again of our commitment to protect our democratic institutions from those who do not mean well for the progress of our State.
As we continue to take our State on a path to sustainable peace and irreversible progress may God protect us from our enemies and crown our efforts with success.”
He blamed the invasion of the Rivers State Judiciary on the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad and a faction of the All Progressives Congress, loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
“Today, 11th May 2018, operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) invaded the State High Court complex, Port Harcourt, blocked all entrances and for hours, prevented judicial workers, judges, litigants and lawyers from gaining access into their offices and courtrooms to carry out their judicial duties and businesses.
“ While the siege lasted, organized hoodlums from a faction of the State’s All Peoples Congress (APC) loyal to the Minister of Transport Rt. Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi freely harassed innocent persons, including lawyers and destroyed public property, including private vehicles packed in the Court premises.
“ The brazen assault on the State’s Judiciary was carried out by the Police on the direct instructions from the said faction of the APC, which feared that the rival faction might obtain an injunction against the continuation of their highly disputed and rancorous party congresses”, the governor said.
He said there is a clear evidence of conspiracy by the Police officers with some known political rascals to willfully overwhelm the judiciary and thwart the course of justice.
The governor said that the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) continues to lend its men and instruments to the services of opposition elements to sabotage Rivers security
architecture, undermine State institutions and abuse the human rights of the people.
He said: ”All these are in furtherance of actualizing the ignominious political template of the APC to rig the 2019 general elections in the state and unlawfully wrest power from the people by all means.
”We therefore call on the Federal Government to investigate the circumstances that led to the invasion and assault on the State’s judiciary and bring all the culprits to justice in order to stop a re-occurrence and avert a chaos orchestrated by those who seek power at all cost using the police.
“Where this is not done, the Federal Government should be ready to be accountable for any breakdown of law and order in Rivers State given the readiness of the people to resist the Police and defend their democratic rights to live in peace and freely elect their leaders.”
In a swift reaction, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime And Security Agency, NIMASA, reacted that the protests around the Judiciary complex last Friday in Port Harcourt, he said from what he has been told, some of the protesters were led by PDP chieftains in the state, just as some people who may be members of the APC were also protesting.
He vehemently denied being aware of the protest and that at no time did he mobilise anybody to embark on the protest, even though he stated that the right to protest is part of democracy.