RVHA Moves To Evacuate Indigenes In Borno

The Rivers State House of  Assembly yesterday passed a resolution to evacuate state indigenes resident in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

This followed a motion moved by Hon Legborsi Nwidadah (Khana I) seeking the intervention of the state government to urgently facilitate the evacuation of the students and other indigenes of the state residing in Borno State.

Hon. Nwidadah, told the lawmakers that he had received several text messages from the Rivers State students in Borno who are stranded and want government to come to their rescue.

The lawmaker pointed out that the protection of lives and property was paramount to any government.

The motion was adopted as a working document for the House and this opened a debate on the issue by members on the floor of the House.

Hon. Ikunyi Igbani of Andoni Constituency who seconded the motion, said it was imperative for Rivers State to join other states to evacuate its citizens from Borno State. According to Hon Igbani, “ it is the responsibility of the Rivers State Government to protect the lives of its citizens”.

House Leader, Hon Chidi Lloyd commended Hon. Nwidadah for moving the motion and stated that “ no responsible government will rest on its oars to watch its citizens destroyed, referring to the Bakassi experience, he said, it is urgent for the state to evacuate its citizens in Maiduguri and bring them to safety.

In his submission, Hon. Nnamani Ewoh of Ahoada Constituency I, said the issue at stake should be treated cautiously, as the situation had not denigrated to the extent that will require the evacuation of Rivers indigenes in Borno State.

While calling on the Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation to handle the issue, he said “ it would amount to sending a dangerous signal to the north if Rivers citizens are evacuated from Maiduguri.

He further stated that, “during the Niger Delta crisis, no northern state evacuated their citizens from the embattled region”.

Corroborating, Hon Ewoh’s position, Hon Augustine Ngo, representing Abua/Odual constituency, said evacuating Rivers people in Borno may not be the best option in the circumstance, rather, he said it could ennerve the sect and trigger a reaction from them.

He said the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties should be called to brief the House on what the government has done so far on the matter.

Hon. Micheal Chinda of Obio/Akpor Constituency was also of the view that evacuation of Rivers people from Borno may not be the best option, he therefore called for caution on the matter.

Dr Innocent Bankor of Gokana Constituency in his contribution to the motion said the evacuation of Rivers citizens in the volatile north should at the moment be restricted to Borno which is the hot bed of the dire hard Islamic sect.

In his submission, Hon. Ben Horsefall said the menace of Boko Haram was a threat to National Security and should be addressed with deserving attention.

According to him, the sect had become a platform to make real the threat made by some northern poitical elements, to the Goodluck Jonathan presidency. “Boko Haram was a local problem but it became national when President Jonathan assumed duties as Nigeria number one citizen.

Members, however, voted overwhelmingly in support of the motion, which was generally considered to be of immense public interest.

Ruling, the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon Otelemaba Amachree said the Rivers government will be formally informed of the resolution of the House to, as a matter of urgency, facilitate the evacuation of Rivers people in Borno State.

It would be recalled that many states such as  Plateau, Kano, Edo, Benue, among others, had evacuated their citizens resident in the violence torn city of Maiduguri.

The authorities of the University of Maiduguri also recently closed down the school following threats from Boko Haram to bomb the institution.

The National Youth Service Corps, had also redeployed corps members posted to Borno State for safety reasons.

Beemene Taneh

From Left: Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State; President Goodluck Jonathan; and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,, Dr Angela Merkel, arriving for the 4th German-Nigeria Business Forum in Abuja, yesterday