Thank God,someone is waking up from slumber! RIVERS CRISIS: POLICE MAKE U-TURN Inspector General of Police Muhammed Abubakar yesterday intervened in the face-off between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu and directed that the police should give protection to a rally by the pro-Amaechi Save Rivers Movement (SRM) at Bori-Ogoni, today. Two previous rallies held by the group were disrupted: the first by the police who fired into the crowd, injuring Senator Magnus Abe; and the second by militants. The Chief of Staff at Government House , Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, confirmed yesterday that the rally would be peaceful as the police had agreed to ensure maximum security. Amaechi is expected at the rally and he vowed, as he did last week when the last rally was disrupted that he was ready for the bullets of militants allegedly hired to cause trouble. The APC to which Amaechi belongs had, on Thursday, directed its members in the National Assembly to block all proposals by the Presidency until the rule of law is restored to the state. Until now, only the rallies organised by the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) were allowed and protected by the police in the state. The GDI has as its grand patron, Chief Nyesom Wike, Supervisory Minister of Education who is the arrowhead of the opposition to the governor. It was learnt that following the recent development IGP Abubakar directed CP Mbu to ensure protection for today’s rally. The militants, who disrupted last Sunday’s rally at Bori, have threatened to stike again today. Governor Amaechi said through Okocha yesterday that there was no going back on the rally. He said: “Arrangements are in top gear. We have just been reliably informed that the Rivers Commissioner of Police has directed the Area Commander in Bori to provide adequate security for the rally in Bori. “Governor Amaechi also called the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar. “If the militants are still threatening to disrupt the rally, it is for the police to fish them out. That is why they are in charge of security. “If a particular area, as large as the Ogoni axis is, is characterised by lawlessness, no governor will allow it. We are not cowards. We are ready to take the militants’ bullets. The teeming supporters of the Governor Amaechi are ready to receive the SRM leaders and members in Ogoni. “Governor Amaechi has promised to lead the SRM rally in Bori. We are in a civilised society. A leader must show good examples. Those who are saying the Rivers governor must first hold the rescheduled rally at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, disrupted on January 12, and not in Bori, which was prevented from holding on January 19, are missing the point. “Port Harcourt rally of the SRM was disrupted by the police, while militants prevented that of Bori with sporadic gunshots. The governor must prove that he is fully in charge, as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Despite the police U-turn Okocha saidthe state government still does not trust Mbu. “ He is a politician. We informed the Rivers Commissioner of Police, through the SRM’s lawyer, Barr. Ken Atsuwete, of the January 12 and 19 rallies, for police protection, which could not be provided,” he said. Also yesterday, a group of Ogoni elders, under the aegis of “Concerned Ogoni Elders’ Forum” asked Amaechi to reconsider the proposed rally in the interest of peace and tranquillity. The elders, made up of the leader of Ogoni PDP members/ former chairman of Gokana LGA Fred Kpakol and some other PDP stalwarts, in a communiqué at the end of a meeting warned against any rally by any political group without police permit across the four LGAs that make up Ogoni (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme). They accused the state government and other politicians of using Ogoni as demonstration field for political violence, and vowed to resist any move by any group or government to contravene the order. Source: The Nation RIVERS CRISIS: POLICE MAKE U-TURN Inspector General of Police Muhammed Abubakar yesterday intervened in the face-off between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State and Police Commissioner Joseph Mbu and directed that the police should give protection to a rally by the pro-Amaechi Save Rivers Movement (SRM) at Bori-Ogoni, today. Two previous rallies held by the group were disrupted: the first by the police who fired into the crowd, injuring Senator Magnus Abe; and the second by militants. The Chief of Staff at Government House , Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, confirmed yesterday that the rally would be peaceful as the police had agreed to ensure maximum security. Amaechi is expected at the rally and he vowed, as he did last week when the last rally was disrupted that he was ready for the bullets of militants allegedly hired to cause trouble. The APC to which Amaechi belongs had, on Thursday, directed its members in the National Assembly to block all proposals by the Presidency until the rule of law is restored to the state. Until now, only the rallies organised by the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) were allowed and protected by the police in the state. The GDI has as its grand patron, Chief Nyesom Wike, Supervisory Minister of Education who is the arrowhead of the opposition to the governor. It was learnt that following the recent development IGP Abubakar directed CP Mbu to ensure protection for today’s rally. The militants, who disrupted last Sunday’s rally at Bori, have threatened to stike again today. Governor Amaechi said through Okocha yesterday that there was no going back on the rally. He said: “Arrangements are in top gear. We have just been reliably informed that the Rivers Commissioner of Police has directed the Area Commander in Bori to provide adequate security for the rally in Bori. “Governor Amaechi also called the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar. “If the militants are still threatening to disrupt the rally, it is for the police to fish them out. That is why they are in charge of security. “If a particular area, as large as the Ogoni axis is, is characterised by lawlessness, no governor will allow it. We are not cowards. We are ready to take the militants’ bullets. The teeming supporters of the Governor Amaechi are ready to receive the SRM leaders and members in Ogoni. “Governor Amaechi has promised to lead the SRM rally in Bori. We are in a civilised society. A leader must show good examples. Those who are saying the Rivers governor must first hold the rescheduled rally at the Rivers State College of Arts and Science, Rumuola, Port Harcourt, disrupted on January 12, and not in Bori, which was prevented from holding on January 19, are missing the point. “Port Harcourt rally of the SRM was disrupted by the police, while militants prevented that of Bori with sporadic gunshots. The governor must prove that he is fully in charge, as the Chief Security Officer of the state. Despite the police U-turn Okocha saidthe state government still does not trust Mbu. “ He is a politician. We informed the Rivers Commissioner of Police, through the SRM’s lawyer, Barr. Ken Atsuwete, of the January 12 and 19 rallies, for police protection, which could not be provided,” he said. Also yesterday, a group of Ogoni elders, under the aegis of “Concerned Ogoni Elders’ Forum” asked Amaechi to reconsider the proposed rally in the interest of peace and tranquillity. The elders, made up of the leader of Ogoni PDP members/ former chairman of Gokana LGA Fred Kpakol and some other PDP stalwarts, in a communiqué at the end of a meeting warned against any rally by any political group without police permit across the four LGAs that make up Ogoni (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme). They accused the state government and other politicians of using Ogoni as demonstration field for political violence, and vowed to resist any move by any group or government to contravene the order. Source: The TheNation From Tony Nwajei
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 14:58:11 +0000
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