Group Plans Anti-Wike Protest

L-R: National Ex-officio member, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhaji Waheed Odusile; Deputy National President, Prince Rotimi Obamuwagun and President, Malam Garba Mohammed, briefing newsmen in Ibadan yesterday on the endowment fund for the three members that died in an auto-crash.

The Rivers Peoples’ Forum (RPF) has said that the continued refusal of the police to arrest and prosecute Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, for openly threatening the lives of Rivers people, and the peace and security of the state would force the group to mobilize Rivers people for the “mother of all protests” to push for the arrest and prosecution of the minister.
Wike, at a Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI) event at Rumueme near Port Harcourt, had said that, “for those who think that they can destroy Obio-Akpor, 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 was referring to the former chairman and councilors of Obio-Akpor Local Government Council, who were suspended by the Rivers State House of Assembly to enable it  carry out unfettered investigation of alleged monumental fraud and corruption against the council’s leadership.
RPF had last week called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the junior minister over his comments, which they say, are dangerous to democracy, threaten the peace and security of Rivers State, arguing that such threat could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state.
The RPF, in the statement signed by its President, Charles Bekwele, described Wike’s comments as a direct threat to the good people of Rivers State, since the Assembly members acted on behalf of the people who elected and mandated the lawmakers to represent them.
“It is a shame, an outrage that the police, instead of arresting and prosecuting Wike, is allowing him to arrogantly and pompously roam the streets, making more provocative and hateful comments against the state and its people”, the group said in a statement, Monday.
“And this is the same police that have declared wanted and arrested supporters of Governor Amaechi for extremely flimsy reasons.  So, why are they not arresting a man who openly threatened the people, peace and security of the state? Is Nyesom Wike above the law?”
“Again, we are calling on the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and prosecute Nyesom Wike 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. Since that young man (Wike) was appointed junior minister, he has carried on like a demi-god, acting like he is above the law. Wike’s excesses must be brought to a halt. Rivers people have had enough of Wike’s shenanigans. And the time to act is now,” he said.
According to him, “this is a man who has practically abandoned his job at the Ministry of Education for politics and political campaigns. Every week, Wike is in Rivers State campaigning, he claims to be campaigning for Mr. President but that is a big lie; except he is saying that Mr. President has commenced campaigns for 2015. He is campaigning for his own governorship, even when he knows there is no vacancy, at least, for now.”
“We are ready to march on the streets of Port Harcourt, if the police refuses to act and allow this impunity and aggression by one man against the people of the state to continue. This will be the mother of all protests as we shall mobilize Rivers people from all over to come out and tell the police, in very lucid terms, that they will not allow Nyesom Wike to threaten their lives, their peace and security while the police, whose duty it is to protect us, do nothing to protect the people. The time to arrest and prosecute Wike is now,” the group added.