7th October, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The nomination of former Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, of Rivers State as minister is heating up political tension in the state as loyalists and those against his nomination may clash on the streets of Port Harcourt.
The Rivers State Police Command said it has uncovered clandestine moves by two opposing groups to stage a protest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state Capital, to express their support or opposition to the ministerial nomination by
President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo, has therefore warned the groups to the police would not allow the planned protest, so as not truncate the existing peaceful co-existence in the state.
In a statement issued on behalf of the commissioner by the Command’s spokesman, Ahmad Muhammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Kimo said those who flout the ban would be arrested and prosecuted.
“While the Command respects the individuals’ right to peaceful assembly, it will not tolerate a situation where such protests will lead to breach of public peace and breakdown of law and order,” he warned.
He urged members of the public to remain peaceful, assuring it of the safety of lives and property.
Kimo “enjoins the good people of Rivers State to remain calm, hopeful, confident and trusting in the ability of the Command to discharge its constitutional mandate of ensuring public peace and security; as well as upholding democratic rights and rule of law.”
There have been allegations and counter-allegations between All Progressive Congress,APC, and the Rivers state government over planned public protest against the nomination of Amaechi as Minister.
While APC accuses Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration of planning a protest against Amaechi’s nomination, the state government denied the allegation, saying that the appointment of Amaechi is absolutely inconsequential to the Rivers people and the Rivers state government and so would not waste its time sponsoring protests against such nomination as doing that would not change anything.