Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on elders, church leaders, the federal government and stakeholders in the state to stop Governor Nyeson Wike from plunging the state into anarchy as he is set to sign into law on the Neighbourhood Safety Corps (NSC), Bill passed by the State House of Assembly on February 15 this year.
In a statement, the APC described the proposed law as contentions, contagious and diabolical which is capable of throwing the state into chaos, especially, with the 2019 general elections around the corner.
The statement, signed by the State Chairman of Rivers APC, Dr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya said: “considering the bloodletting that accompanied the 2015 general elections without this type of legally approved militia group, should Wike assents to the bill, only God knows what will befall the State.
“This sinister bill that authorizes the Neighbourhood Watch (Wike’s private Army) to carry arms, enter, search and arrest citizens without warrants is mischievous, diabolical, evil, wicked and unacceptable.”
The party lamented that allowing Nyesom Wike to formally arm his militia would not only pose severe threat to the security of everybody in Rivers State, including those urging him on this sinister plot “but will make the audacity, evil, satanic, autocratic and fascist regimes of Mobutu Sese Seko, Emperor Fidel Bokassa or legendary Idi Amin of Uganda to be Saints and Angels of their countries.
“We are talking about Nyesom Wike who in 2014 ordered his militia group to attack and stone the Northern Governors that were on official visit to Rivers State. We are talking about Wike who ensured that then Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was so humiliated and embarrassed that on several occasions he was prevented from entering the Government House. We are talking about Wike who proudly influenced five members of Rivers State House of Assembly constituting 32 members to attempt to impeach then Rivers State Speaker, Rt. Hon. Amachree with Amaechi as a target.
“We are talking about Wike who rode to power on the blood of hundreds of APC members being allowed to have a legally backed private army that will turn Rivers State into a hell and making Yemen, El Salvador, Burundi and Pakistan paradise on earth.”
The party expressed shock that governor Wike who claims that he has no money to award academic scholarships to students of the state, or pay them their Bursary entitlement, could not pay pensions or salaries of civil servants for over six months or employ any Rivers State indigene into any meaningful enterprise but could budget a whopping sum of N22 billion on buying guns and ammunitions to arm the youths to kill themselves.
“This is not only wicked but exposes Wike’s shallow understanding of the principles of governance and his devilish intentions against our youths.”
The party reiterated that Wike has destroyed the future of the youths of Rivers State by destroying the education sector of the State and denying them qualitative and functional education, “but prefers, through initiation of the Neighbourhood Watch bill, to arm them to kill and constitute themselves as nuisance to the State and the country at large.
Report By Gladys Nweke. [myad]
