21st September, 2012
The Rivers State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, says whatever the grievances of the Eleme youths for blocking the Eleme/Onne axis of the East/West Road, Thursday, is ill-timed.
In a statement issued and signed by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Jerry Needam, the ACN said protesting and blocking the major road to traffic on the day of an International Conference at the Onne Oil Free Trade Zone which the nation’s President, Goodluck Jonathan was billed to host could not have been a coincidence.
Jerry Needam said the PDP government should be held responsible for the national embarrassment and poor image posture painted of Nigeria and Rivers State in particular by the Eleme youths’ action.
Needam noted that there was no way the Rivers State government led by Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi could deny knowledge of the protest but did nothing to avert it.
More worrisome, the ACN alleged, was the fact that the protest was led by the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Council and a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing the area, all Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) card carrying members.
“We identify with genuine agitation including the issues raised by the Eleme youths but are overtly opposed to any pretext to take advantage of such rights and privileges to whip up unnecessary sentiments that are capable of igniting communal crisis or inter-ethnic clashes and, or embarrass Mr President who is the symbol of the Nigerian nation notwithstanding his political affiliation.
“Moreso, there are several other ways and means as well as days to seek attention and justice other than blocking the traffic against the President and foreign guests on the day of international conference,” the ACN noted.
The ACN therefore called for a proper investigation into the Eleme youths action, insisting that there may be underlying reasons other than being posted.
—Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt