• ‘Allegation infantile propaganda’
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government said, yesterday, it has uncovered a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some police officers, to instigate the students of tertiary institutions in the state to embark on protest against non-payment of bursary.
Also, the government alleged that APC and police want to seize the protest to shoot protesting students to portray the state in bad light. This revelation was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, yesterday, by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah.
Okah also said APC wanted to create fear in the minds of people, discourage inflow of investments.
He further warned students to stay away from any planned protest, as “the state government would not be held responsible, if harm befalls them during the proposed demonstration.
“While we recognise the right of any citizen to assemble and carry out peaceful protests within the law, the present planned protest by the students is politically motivated and laced with huge danger, as nobody knows who may be killed in the process.”
In a swift reaction, the APC described Okah’s allegation “as infantile propaganda unbefitting of a state government.”
APC Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, in a statement, yesterday, said it was a lame attempt to blackmail the students, who have been owed bursary payments. He further said the needful should be done to avert students embarking on protest, instead of a resort to blackmailing students, police and the APC.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has expressed satisfaction with Governor Nyesom Wike’s performance since he assumed office on May 29, 2015.
The party described Wike as God-send.
The party also expressed optimism that Rivers people would experience more infrastructure developments in years to come if Wike continues to pilot the affairs of the state.
The party’s Publicity Secretary, Samuel Nwanosike, stated this when he officially received over 100 supporters of the APC, who defected to PDP, in Omerelu, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
Nwanosike said governor Wike has shown good leadership traits by ensuring that the 23 local government areas of the state are feeling the impact of good governance. He pointed out that Wike’s administration has recorded more developmental projects in less than three years with meagre resources, than his predecessor, who allegedly had much resources at his disposal.
“We (PDP) are proud of the state governor because he has proved his worth as a good and visionary leader. He is ready to carry Rivers people along. God gave us a good leader, Wike, who knows what good governance means to the people.
“The assurance I am giving you today, is that governor Wike will not abandon Omerelu community and Rivers people, in general, in his distribution of dividends of good governance.
“You will use this internal road to know whether the governor is Mr. Project or not.”
He has said he would do it and I know he will surely work the road.
“Governor Wike promised you (Omerelu community) three things during his electioneering. He said he would give you internal road; that he would renovate your secondary school and would make your son, the vice chancellor of Rivers State University.
“Out of the three promises, he has fulfilled one. He appointed and made your son the substantive vice chancellor of the university. I think it is worthy to commend the governor for the gesture…”
As I said earlier, he will surely fulfil the remaining promises.
“It is sad to noted that one of your sons served as a commissioner for eight years in the last administration, without anything to show for it. This is his village. He could not attract even a project to develop and impact positively on his people.
“But, with the recent appointment of your son as vice chancellor of the university, you can testify to the impact of that appointment on Omerelu youths,” Nwanosike said.
The PDP spokesman, however, assured the community that he (Nwanosike) would personally oversee the construction of their market before May 29, 2018.
Meanwhile, leader of the APC defectors, Clement Amadi, in his remarks, said they had realised their mistakes and decided to abandon the party for good.
He regretted that APC never fulfilled the promises it made, assuring that they would contribute to the success of PDP in Ikwerre council and the state at large.
“I have decided to be in PDP and God has destined it to be so. I am assuring PDP that I shall not be found wanting in any form. I will contribute to the success of the party in the 2019 general election,” Amadi promised.