By: Felix Ikpotor
Youths in Andoni local government area of Rivers State are now accusing the local government council chairman, Paul Lawrence of being responsible for the abduction of a traditional ruler, HRH, King Aaron Ikuru and a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Jones Ayuwu.
This is even as they have asked the council boss to release the duo within seven days or face the wrath of Andoni youths.
King Ikuru, the Okan-Ama of Ikuru town and Dr Ayuwu were kidnapped on Sunday by yet to be identified gunmen.
The youths under the aegis of National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Andoni chapter in a statement published on Tuesday, by its Public Relations Officer, Solomon Emmanuel Ngbowa accused the council chairman of being responsible for the unrest in the area.
However, the council boss had previously boasted that he has restored peace in the council area.
Efforts to reach him on this latest accusation proved abortive at the time of this report.
The statement reads thus:
His Youthfulness most Senior comr. Amb. Sampson S Akpor, The chairman of the National Youth Council, Andoni Chapter, in an emergency security meeting with the council show great concern on the disturbing issues of insecurity around the LGA, he has expressed worry about the vacuity of the Local Government Council who with all these security challenges has not been able to put up a better security architecture to curtail these menace.
The chairman of NYCN, Andoni Chapter, in his address to his council, calls for the immediate resignation of hon. Paul Lawrence, the Chairman, Andoni Local Government Area, stressing that two extra months of hon. Paul as a council chairman will retrogress us to a point of difficult convalescence.
The chairman, most senior comr. Amb. Sampson S Akpor has taken a step ahead to the state council of the NYCN, to discuss how probable the council can work closely with the state government to deliver inclusive defense in securing lives and property since the current Local Government council has failed in their primary assignment.
“We won’t allow this to continue in our territory, we will discharge every legal arsenal within our reach to protect our people” Comr. Sampson S Akpor.
Subsequently, the council has resolved on intergenerational dialogue by being involved to build and sustain peace and enhance social cohesion at community levels, thus, the council will be writing to relevant authorities for inclusiveness in the security network of our people.
Correlation between government and the masses is very important which is what gives us impetus in perpetuity, thus the youth and government must have a Bread and Butter relationship to carry out robust statistical investigation to bring lasting solutions to the menace.
The present local government administration is clumsy in delivering inclusive governance, as such the youths of Andoni will avoid humming while they shape their fate themselves, said the chairman of the NYCN, Andoni Chapter.
The entire LGA is in a state of aquiver and is not ready for any form of mellifluous words, the land has suffered numerous ineffable crimes, it’s time to act up, we are done with press releases. Our home is becoming hearth, and it’s a disease we must cure. We will stop at nothing to assist the security agencies to expose those executing these nefarious crimes on us. This is not time to wait for the somnambulist, who only receives allocations, we must put in our best to clean the petrichor of this ugly event.
Conclusively the council assures the masses of our readiness to work with security agencies to strengthen our security network for lasting peace and implores everyone to assist with relevant information to enable us to deliver utmost governance. Furthermore, the Council is giving hon. Paul Lawrence 7 days to release our monarch and the Academician, HRM sir. Dr. Aaron Miller Ikuru, Ikut De VII, and Dr. Jones Ayuwu respectively, or face huge protests from the youth. In assurance hon. Paul Lawrence should be aware that every lawful step will be taken against him this time, and there will be no hiding place for him.
