Aug. 11, 2013
Sam Oluwalana, NationalMirror
The Rivers Peoples’ Forum (RPF) has restated its call for “the immediate arrest and prosecution” of Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, over his comments in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital last weekend, which it describes as dangerous to democracy.
It noted that the minister’s statement threatened the peace and security of Rivers State and could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state, if the minister is not checked.
Wike on Saturday last week, at a Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI) event in Port Harcourt had said that, “for those who think that they can destroy Obio- Akpor (Local Government Council), we will make life uncomfortable for them.
We will make sure they will not sleep again. When they are sleeping, they will not sleep with their two eyes closed. One eye will be open because they know there is danger.”
Wike apparently, was referring to the former Chairman and Councillors of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area who were suspended by the Rivers State House of Assembly for the House to carry out investigations of monumental fraud and corruption against them.
RPF in the statement by its President, Charles Bekwele, also described the comments as a direct threat to “the good people of Rivers State, and can lead to a breach of the peace and security; so security agencies must now take steps to curtail the excesses of Nyesom Wike.
“First, Obio-Akpor Council was not destroyed. Its former council chairman, Timothy Nsirim and his councillors were only suspended by the Rivers State House of Assembly to enable the House investigate allegations of monumental fraud and corruption against them.
“And the State Assembly had repeatedly said they would be reinstated if they are not found guilty at the end of the investigations. And we must also bear in mind that it is constitutionally the function of the State legislators to oversee, supervise and check the excesses of local councils
“These legislators were elected by Rivers people to represent them in the Assembly. This also means that whatever action they take in the House(including the suspension) was taken by Rivers people since we voted for them and gave them our mandate to represent us in the Assembly.
This then translates to the fact that the junior minister’s threat is a direct threat to the good people of Rivers State, the group averred. The group, as a result, urged that “Nyesom Wike must be arrested and prosecuted now for threatening the lives of Rivers people, for threatening the peace and security of Rivers State.
“As a matter of fact, his comments are dangerous to our democracy, Wike is a danger to our democracy. Comments like that can easily lead to a breach of peace in the state. The Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General, State Security Service(SSS) must act now to arrest and prosecute Wike for threatening the peace and security of the State. His excesses must be curtail, Rivers people have had enough of Wike’s shenanigans,” the group demanded.