By: Chetachi Ifeme
Youths of Rivers State under the auspices of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Rivers State chapter have condemned the growing spate of politically motivated attacks in the state.
Chairman of NYCN in Rivers State, Comrade NwisaBari Bani while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt, lamented the spate of attacks especially that on Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and others in the state.
He said even though the group is apolitical, but they would no longer fold their arms and watch the state degenerate into violence.
Bani said: “Most recently, there have been records of pocketed political violence and attacks on dissenting political voices and groups in the state”.
“Pitiably, these attacks have been meted out on intraparty and interparty supporters who chose to have a dissenting view from the political leadership of the Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s led administration in the State”.
According to him, the attack was first carried out in Omuma Local Government Area where a young man was macheted by political hoodlums believed to be loyal to actors of the state government.
“Also, from Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area, reports of people being forced to swear to a diabolic oath against their will not to support a particular presidential candidate occupied the news waves very recently. Such archaic decision and action is alien to democratic norms across the world”.
“Unfortunately, the next known attack was meted out on the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and his supporters in Oyigbo Local Government Area where political thugs believed to be loyal to the state People’s Democratic Party PDP Chairman were clearly identified.
“Just a few days afterwards, another attack was carried out against the same man and his team at the Okrika waterside in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area,” he stated.
However, he commended Abe for, “his leadership and peaceful disposition shown in calming the nerves of his teeming supporters from embarking on a retaliatory journey which would have been catastrophic against the perpetrators of the attacks against him. We will not fail to applaud the understanding of supporters of the former lawmaker and the Social Democratic Party SDP in heeding to the appeals of their principal”.
“We commend the leadership and supporters of other political groups including the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP who have been provoked by these real enemies of Rivers people but was and is matured enough to keep calm just to ensure that our state remains ever peaceful and calm. You all are the true heroes of democracy,” he stated.
While asking the police and other security agencies to live up to expectations by executing their tasks professionally, the Rivers youth leader warned that, “the leadership of the council under my watch will not sit back and watch helplessly some unfortunate political elements who got to political limelight through the back door create unnecessary chaos and acrimony in our political space thereby endangering the lives of innocent Rivers youths whose welfare is paramount to us.”
Bani condemned, “the restrictions to access the IDP camps by government camp officials who have restricted members of opposition parties from accessing internally displaced persons in the flooded communities of the state. We want to sound it clearly that these persons who have found themselves in this unfortunate conditions are Rivers people and should not be denied any opportunity of goodwill from men and women of good consciences on the altar of politics”.
He therefore called on Rivers people to vote according to character and integrity and not on party lines which he said has kept the state in stunted democratic growth.
“We enjoin all members of our council, Rivers youths and residents to go and pick up their permanent voters cards and be well equipped to vote in formidable candidates who are fully prepared to end the woes brought upon Rivers state by this administration,” he said.
