Tony John, Port Harcourt
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has thrown its support behind the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for assenting to the Neighbourhood Watch Corps Law, saying that the step would strengthen security in the state.
Also, PDP berated the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the State, for claiming that the Neighborhood law signed by Governor Wike was aimed at witchhunting their members during the 2019 elections.
The party, however, noted that the Neighborhood Watch Bill was initiated by an APC lawmaker in the state House of Assembly, emphasizing that the corps would promote peace and development in the state.
It would be recalled that Fredrick Anabraba, an APC member and Minority Leader of the State House of Assembly, representing Akuku-Toru constituency I, during one of the plenary sessions, had moved a motion for establishment of the Neighborhood Watch Safety Corps, noting that the passage of the bill would strenghten the fight against crime in the state.
State Publicity Security of PDP, Samuel Nwanosike, made the statements, when he spoke at the weekend, while officially receiving APC defectors to PDP through the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) in Andoni Local Government Area of the State.
Nwanosike noted that many states in the country have similar security outfits, wondering why Rivers’ case should be made exceptional by the opposition party in the state. Nwanosike said: “We run a democratic government. And in democracy, the minority will have their say, but the majority will have their way. The Rivers State House of Assembly members are our representatives. That law, Neigbourhood Watch was proposed by an APC lawmaker, the Minority Leader of the House, and other APC lawmakers supported the Bill.
“Today, the Rivers State House of Assembly has passed that Bill into Law and the governor has assented. The governor has gone ahead to appoint an acting Director in the person of Dr. Uche Chukwuma, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, to head the Corps. We are in support of the passage of the bill.
“Don’t worry yourselves. In Lagos they have the same neighbourhood watch, they have same in Edo, Imo and Anambra states. Just today, I read in the newspaper that Katsina, the state of President Muhammadu Buhari, has also joined to propose a security law. Why would Rivers State be different. That law has come to stay, it will provide security for our people, provide job for our people and make us happy”, Nwanosike stated.