Thugs Block P/H Airport To Protest Govs’ Visit

Anti-Governor Chibuike Amaechi political thugs under the aegis of Democratic Initiative loyal to Nyesom Wike today besieged the Port Harcourt International Airport protesting the visit of some Northern Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who were on a solidarity visit to the governor today.

Eyewitness told P.M.NEWS that this morning party thugs blocked the VIP lounge of the Port Harcourt International Airport, thus preventing Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his visitors from leaving the airport.

Confirming the incident, the Secretary of Grassroots Democratic Movement, Mr Samuel Nwonosike said “Rivers People are against this visit. We want Soyinka to concentrate on his western states. We want him to concentrate on the problems in Osun, Ekiti. We also support Evan Bipi as the Speaker of the House of Assembly because he will call the Governor to account how he has been governing Rivers State.”

When contacted, Angela Agabe, the Spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command, confirmed the protest at the airport.

“I am not there now. I am in the office. But an Assistant Commissioner of Police has been drafted there. If there are any issues that would warrant breach of the peace, they will be arrested.”

Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “Nyako leave our resources alone. Northern Governors leave Rivers State alone”.

P.M.NEWS learnt that a pro-Amaechi youths under the auspices of Ikwerre Youth Movement, IYM, also mobilised to show solidarity at the airport.

Mrs Ibim Semenitari, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, in her statement said “there were jitters in the presidency over the visit of governors of Adamawa, Jigawa, Kano and Niger to Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi in Port Harcourt, today, Tuesday, 16 July, 2013. Members of the Nyesom Wike campaign organisation, Grassroot Democratic Initiative, GDI, had mobilised youths to disrupt the visit.

“Chanting solidarity songs in favour of the presidency, they attempted to attack Governor Amaechi and his team. Wike had boasted after the failed impeachment attempt at the Rivers State House of Assembly that he would set Rivers State ablaze and render it ungovernable.

“A four litre keg suspected to contain some acid was found beside the mob. Rivers State Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu denied knowledge of the mob’s presence although the police stated that the airport is a public place and everyone has a right to visit freely and unhindered.

“This protends grave danger and has far reaching implications for our fledgling democracy.”

Governors of Kano, Jigawa, Adamawa and Niger were at Government House at the time of the report.

Before they left Port-Harcourt, they issued a statement calling on the Inspector General of Police to remove the commissioner of police, Mbu Joseph Mbu.

The governors criticised him for his unprofessionalism and political partisanship in the multiple crises rocking the state and accused him of being used to persecute the Rivers State Governor.

“We wish to call on the Inspector General of Police to hearken to the voices of reason and immediately redeploy and discipline Commissioner Joseph Mbu,” the statement said.

“His action smacks of unprofessionalism and political partisanship which is unbecoming of his office.”

The governors threatened that they would reconsider their earlier commitment to contribute part of their federal allocations towards the funding of the police if the Rivers police boss was not removed and sanctioned.

“With the way the police is being used and abused, and with officers like Mbu in the bus, we do not see the need for state governments to fund an antagonistic police and may be forced to reconsider our position on the financial contribution of states towards the funding of the Nigerian police,” the governors said.

In the light of the Rivers experience, the governors raised the issue of state police, saying it has become desirable, since the federal government was now in the habit of using the federal police to persecute political enemies.

“Arising from the action of the police, and Joseph Mbu in Rivers State, the call for state police as a constitutional provision has become a necessity,” the statement added.

The governors commended Mr. Amaechi for his “maturity and calm even in the face of apparent persecution”.

—Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt