‘Opposition Tearing Rivers PDP Apart’

Not withstanding the continued lull in legislative business in the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Leyii Kwanee, last Tuesday called on the national body of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to intervene in the expulsion of 18 members of the party in Rivers State. He said the call became imperative following what he called “the manner the party is being destroyed in the State”.

Hon. Kwanee described the development as a grand design by key members of the opposition in the State, who he alleged had infiltrated the PDP with intent to incapacitate the party. Such opposition members according to him include Dr. Abiye Sekibo and Jerry Needam who, he said, had been strong critics of the party, but who now make decisions and speak for the party.

He buttressed this with recent actions taken by the Felix Obuah-led State PDP, saying that such actions are intended to destroy the party “beyond redemption”. The essence, he said, is to make the party ineffectual in the State when eventually the national body intervenes in the crisis.

The Deputy Speaker stated further that the expulsion of the 18 members was not in accordance with Article 21 (4) l5)&(6) of the constitution of the party. According to him, the affected members ought to be suspended and informed in writing about their offences, and the allegation against them should have been properly investigated, giving them fair hearing. He noted that given that due process was not taken, the action of the party amounts to “a gross violation of the constitution of the party and principle of natural justice”.

The Deputy Speaker stated that the antics of the opposition became clear from the time the Obuah-led executive started absorbing the opposition and giving them prominence.

In another development, Hon. Kwanee called on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, to expedite action to complete the East-West Road in order to save the lives of people plying the road. He made the call shortly after visiting the Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Fred Igwe, in the hospital. The Commissioner was attacked by armed men along the East-West road.

Blaming the poor state of the road for the attack on the Commissioner, the Deputy Speaker said if the road had been in good condition, armed men could not have had their way on the spot the Commissioner was attacked. According to him, Mr. Igwe said he was attacked at a very bad spot on the road.

Noting that many people had been victims of the bad road either through armed attack or road accident, the Deputy Speaker recalled the death of the mother of the wife of the President along the same road and the tanker explosion.

While condemning the slow pace of work on the road, Kwanee urged the Minister to give  the road the attention it deserves  by not only being on the neck of the contractors, but also visiting the peoject sites regularly and disbursing payments accordingly.

He said the people of the Niger Delta region will be happy if that road is completed.

He also condemned the increasing crime wave in the State and called on the police to come to  the rescue of the people.