Politics
Desecration Of Temple Of Justice
The political crisis in
Rivers State is taking a frightening dimension with series of explosion here and there. First, it was the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council headquarters that was attacked with explosives in July 2013 after a High Court in Port Harcourt had ordered the police to maintain minimal presence at the council –as against the outright barricade – to enable Hon. Chikaordi Dike – led caretaker committee and staff of the council to carry out their legitimate duties. The next was Obio/Akapor liaison office, at Rumuobiokani, followed by the deputy governor’s office, the car park of Justice Charles Wali and recently, the Ahoada Etche high courts.
Consequently, there have been accusations and counter-accusations by state government, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the People Democratic Party (PDP) as well as individuals, following the dastardly acts that have drawn the ire and condemnation of the general public.
Rivers State Government has pointedly accused members of the Grassroots Democratic Initiative (GDI) which was founded by the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike of masterminding the bombings in some parts of the state.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Seminitari made the allegation during a press briefing in Port Harcourt recently.
According to the government spokesperson, “explosive suspected to be bomb early yesterday morning rocked part of the premises of Ahoada High Court, in Ahoada East Local Government Area (LGA), destroying the building, housing the secretariat of the state branch of Nigeria Barr Association (NBA).
“Ahoada High Court is being presided over by Justice Charles Wali, who last December issued an injunction to the self-acclaimed speaker of the House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, to stop parading himself as speaker.
“There was supposed to have been a case involving Hon. Evans this morning and when the lawyers got to the court this morning, they found out that the premises where the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) office is located has been burnt. While they were there, they discovered that they were still unexploded devices that were there. The police anti-bomb squad arrived at the scene and confirmed that the explosives were bombs.
“The lawyers were still around when these things were happening, between 10 and 11 am, the police anti-bomb squad was still around taking stock of what had happened.
“At Okehi, it wasn’t an explosion. The registrar of the court at Okehi confirmed that the files were gathered together and set ablaze.
“Knowing the things that have happened at Okehi in respect of the political cases going on, as a government we are mindful that this may not be totally unrelated to matters affecting Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA).
“The reason we say that is because of the things that have happened in both Etche and Omuma when GDI attempted to do their launching, they broke into the secretariat and there was violence. And because we have seen this spate of violence by GDI members we are certain that this violence that is occurring has the signature of members of GDI and the PDP as currently known.
“This is not the first explosion as you (the media) are aware of in recent times. You are aware that there was a mild one at the office of the deputy governor. We are still awaiting the security agencies’ report on that matter.
“You are also aware of series of explosion going on around the Abonnema wharf area of Mile One last December. We are also waiting for the report from the security agencies.
“Since these explosions occurred, we have been silent as a government to let the security agencies take the lead. They have failed to take the lead and also failed to tell Rivers people what all of these are about”.
In an online statement by the Interim Publicity Secretary of the Rivers State Chapter of All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Andy Nweye entitled: “APC condemns extension of violence to the judiciary by the PDP,” the party described as barbaric the bombing of the Ahoada court.
“The extension of violence to the judiciary in Rivers State by the PDP and their agents started to assume a dangerous dimension after Justice Wali of the Ahoada High Court granted an injunction on December 16, restraining the member representing Ogu/Bolo in Rivers State House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“A few hours later, the court building was bombed by suspected PDP members/agents. In the night of Sunday, January 5, elements suspected to be members of the PDP bombed an Ahoada High Court building.
“less than a week earlier, the PDP had widely circulated a press statement, signed by the PDP chairman, Mr Felix Obuah, claiming that Governor of Rivers State was trying to use the same Ahoada High Court to protect the leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chief Chidi Lloyd, a claim that is vexations, malicious and patent falsehood.
“The Ahoada High Court complex has been cordoned off by the police, because two objects confirmed by the police to be bombs, planted in the premises. These bombs have been planted by the PDP and its agents to prevent the sitting of Ahoada High Court, for the hearing of arguments on interlocutory injunction, barring Evans Bipi from perpetually parading himself as speaker of the state Assembly.
“Despite the PDP openly announcing the verdict that Justice Adama Iyayi-Laminknra would give in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council case weeks before the verdict was handed down, the APC did not resort to violence against the person of Justice Laminkanra, her court and any member or institution of the judiciary in Rivers State before, during and after the verdict was given.”
But the embattled chairman of Rivers State Chapter of the PDP, Bro Felix Obuah had equally alleged that the state government was behind the Ahoada high court bombing.
Hear him: our team of lawyers, made up of over 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) from Abuja and Lagos arrived at Ahoada High Court this morning to argue for the vacation of the interim order and saw the senseless and barbaric destruction of the court.
“The PDP makes bold to suspect that the reported bombing was carried out by the agents of the Rivers State government to prevent the court from sitting, so that the court would not be able to vacate the interim order made by the Ahoada Hihg Court Judge, Hon. Justice Charles Wali.
“Their aim also of bombing the Ahoada High Court is to further create a state of insecurity in Rivers State to justify their continuos call for the removal of state commissioner of police, Mbu, Joseph Mbu”.
However, the truth remains that Governor Amaechi on assumption of office fought tooth and nail to restore peace to a state that was held captive by cultists. It is therefore, difficult for any national thinker to accept the allegation that a governor who has done so much in ensuring the security of lives and property in the state will turn back to tarnish his reputation by supporting agents of destruction whom he has continuously despised.
More so, Governor Amaechi would want to be remembered for the good work he has done and cannot at the twilight of his administration destroy all the legacy projects he has executed in the state.
It is imperative to add that the governor is not oblivious of the fact that he is not in the good books of Mr President as to engage in any act that would warrant the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. He knows the game and is mentally alert.
But the police in Rivers Stat have not help matters in recent times. How would anyone explain the fact that the perpetrators of the bomb attacks are yet to be fished out by the Rivers State police command under the headship of police commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu. Could it be that the police in the state have compromised themselves as alleged by the state government? Mbu must rise to the occasion to justify his training as a professional police officer.
Reward Akwu
Mr Ojukwu, who recently returned to the interim National Working Committee led by Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, noted that the party had 34 elected members in the House of Representatives, eight Senators, and 80 members at the state Houses of Assembly after the 2023 general elections.
“Now we lost all of them,” he said. “I don’t think we have as many as five members in the National Assembly.”
The former national officer of the LP talked to journalists in Abuja and said he chose to join the caretaker committee led by Senator Nenadi-Usman because they are now the officially recognized leaders of the Party.
“I chose to work with the caretaker committee to help save the Labour Party, for the benefit of the party. I also want to use this chance to ask my colleagues at the national, state, and local government levels to come together and help rebuild our party.
“Another election is around the corner. We lost everything we have. They have left to other political parties. So I’ll reach out to all my friends in the other group to get together and work on making this party stronger again.
“The caretaker committee has formed a reconciliation committee. Let’s come together and talk so that we can restore the first opposition political party in Nigeria.”
Mr Ojukwu, who was part of the Julius Abure’s group, said there are no more factions in the LP.
He added, “There is a court ruling, and since it is valid, the right people are in the correct positions.”
He urged Barr Abure and others to drop the legal cases they have filed because they are not helping the party.
“Litigations are killing political parties”, he said. “They’ve seen many political parties disappear because of legal battles, and the Labor Party is losing support every day, which makes me feel sad.”
Mr Ojukwu said he did not think joining the Senator Nenadi-Usman’s NWC was a betrayal of the Abure group, describing himself as “the oxygen” of that faction.
“I’m with this group because of the verdict. But I never betrayed anybody. Rather, I was betrayed,” he added.