Rivers: FG to deal with trouble makers –Amaechi

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, has said that the law enforcement agencies will deal decisively with anyone who breaks the electoral law during the December 10 legislative re-run elections, even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Rivers State Police Command have restated their preparedness for the rescheduled polls.

Speaking during the Freedom Thanksgiving Service held in honour of Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree at Buguma town in Asari Toru Local Government Area, the minister, who was represented by Senator Magnus Abe, the All Progressives Congress (APC), candidate for Rivers South East Senatorial District in the legislative re-run election, said he was aware of threats by some people to deal with the electoral officials and intimidate members of the public from carrying out their civic duties.

He cautioned some law enforcement agents against allowing themselves to be induced financially to neglect their duties, pointing out that such officers were enemies of the Nigerian state and the constitution.

He added: “Any policeman who refuses to carry out his constitutional duties because of anything whatsoever, whether by inducement or threat is a traitor to the constitution of Nigeria.”

The minister said he was aware that the Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, had been encouraging his supporters to break the law and resist arrest. He said: “It is the job of the law enforcement agents to arrest those who do not respect the law. So, no governor can give you immunity from arrest. Let Wike send his own brothers to go to the road, break the law and when the police come to arrest them, let them resist arrest.

“When he has done that then we will know that he has the power to stop the police from arresting criminals when they break the law. People who break the law before, during and after the election will be arrested. People who are members of PDP, APC and they break the law will be arrested.”

He therefore, assured members of the public that nobody was above the law and that there would be adequate security for the maintenance of law and order to enable them cast their votes. In his speech, Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree thanked those who in prayers and efforts made his release possible particularly, the Minister of Transportation. He said he was incarcerated for the crime he did not commit because of his support and loyalty to the APC.

At another forum, Senator Abe called for a level playing field by INEC and the security agencies for the December 10 re-run elections. He said that they of the APC were not asking for INEC and security agencies to favour them, rather, they are urging these apparatus of government to do the needful by ensuring that every voter has an enabling environment to cast his vote without molestation and intimidation as well as the votes counted.

Assuring of their preparedness for the poll, the electoral body and the police made the commitment in a meeting with other security agencies and political parties, as well as candidates in the rerun. State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Francis Odesanya, while addressing the stakeholders, at the Police Officers’ Mess, Port Harcourt, stated that security presence in the state would not give room for political thugs to carry out their nefarious activities.

He said the Command would withdraw police orderlies attached to politicians in the state during the exercise, stressing that the Force would not allow any police officer to go close to the polling units with guns and ammunition. He assured that the police would remain unbiased in providing level playing ground for all the political parties in the exercise, warning that the full force of the law would be brought to bear on perpetrators of violence in the election.

The Police Commissioner said: “Police will be deployed massively; the whole state would be very well covered. If you have in mind to sew materials for political thugs, we will take you by surprise.” Also speaking at the meeting, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak, stated that the commission would commence the distribution of sensitive materials for elections on Thursday, after retrieving them from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Port Harcourt, same day.

Ikoiwak urged all residents of Rivers State, candidates and political parties to make the Saturday rerun elections to be the last in the interest of society.

He disclosed that the commission had concluded the training of ad-hoc staff to be used for the election, adding that members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) would serve as Presiding Officers in the election. The REC said: “We have concluded the training of the adhoc staff to be used for the election apart from the collation officers to be used. Politicians have combed all the universities in the country to find out who the collation officers are.”