Gov Rotimi Amaechi
Hundreds of people opposed to the week-long public holiday declared by Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, Wednesday took to the streets of Port Harcourt to protest against the continued closure of government offices.
The protests came as top supporters of the governor engaged the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a war of words over the holiday declared by the state for the celebration of the centenary anniversary of Port Harcourt.
The protesters, under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Wakirike Ijaw in Port Harcourt, accused Amaechi of being autocratic in the declaration and extension of the holidays.
The group, carrying placards bearing various anti---Amaechi inscriptions, caused traffic gridlock along the major streets as they marched through the Old Port Harcourt Township and gathered at the gate of the State High Court Complex.
Some of the placards read: “One week public holidays, for what?”, “We say no to emergency public holidays”, “Enjoyment governor, go back to work”, “We don’t need emergency rest, Mr. Governor” and “Governor Amaechi, don’t be lazy, go to work.
They lamented that the holidays had paralysed activities in public schools, hospitals, ministries and parastatals, among others.
Addressing journalists in front of the Federal High Court (FHC) along Station Road, the President of the group, George Irimaka, said they would no longer tolerate what he described as “Amaechi’s impunity”.
He accused the governor of not respecting the rights and freedom of the people, and called on the state government to call off the holidays.
Irimaka said, “The public holidays came to us and other Rivers people as a rude shock, because there was no prior information. Our human rights have been violated, businesses are being paralysed and opportunities are gone.
“Some of our relatives and friends, who are in prisons and to be bailed in court last Friday will be in custody till Monday, if the holidays are not extended by Amaechi again, just to prevent Justice Iyayi-Lamikanra from delivering judgment in the Obio/Akpor LG suit.
He called on Amaechi to cancel the holidays and apologise to the people of the state for the hardship they had been unnecessarily thrown into.
But the ousted leadership of the PDP led by Chief Godspower Ake yesterday said no amount of blackmail would stop the good intentions of Amaechi in the governance of the state.
The Ake group was reacting to statements by the state PDP Chairman, Chief Felix Obuah, on Tuesday that the reason given by the State Government was false and diversionary. Obuah had insisted that the work-free days was to stop the courts from delivering judgment on the matter instituted by the suspended elected officers of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council in the state.
Spokesman of the Ake group, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt that the faction was dismayed at what it called “the several lies” by Obuah.
He said, “The Felix Obuah group has been contradicting itself with conflicting statements on the work-free days which the Rivers State Government declared to enable our hardworking civil servants and indeed the good people of the state participate fully in the centenary celebration of the great city, Port Harcourt.”
He said the initial reaction of the State PDP led Obuah on the public holidays was that the work-free days were declared by the government to enable civil servants from Rivers State travel to Anambra and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
“Days back the Obuah group said the initial two off-work days was to enable Rivers State civil servants to go and vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recently concluded Anambra Governorship election. Today, the extended holidays is to enable the Rivers State Government subvert justice. Too many lies; no single truth!” Ukwuoma-Nwogba said.
He said it was improper to link the celebrations in the state to the judiciary, stressing that the holidays were to give the people the opportunity to partake in the ceremonies.
In a related development, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of Obio/Akpor, Mr. Chokordi Dike, said the statements by Obuah on the public holidays were “to deceive the unsuspecting and cause disaffection among Rivers people.”
He said in a press briefing in Port Harcourt yesterday that Obuah had been inconsistent on the reasons for the holidays, adding that he had inadvertently confirmed that an expected judgment of the High Court had leaked.
No comments:
Post a Comment