LG Boss Averts Police Students Clash

The Chairman of Etche Lo
cal Government Council, Hon Reginald Ukwuoma last Monday averted what could have been a serious crisis between members of the National Union of Etche Students (NUES) and men of the Rivers State Police Command, Okehi Division.
NUES National President, Comrade Chimuanya Agbagwa who confirmed the development to The Tide yesterday in a telephone interview said trouble started in the early hours of Monday when an officer of Okehi Division impounded the students union bus at Federal Road Bus Stop, Okehi, claiming the bus was constituting nuisance in the area.
Explaining that the union bus was waiting to convey its members for a courtesy visit, the NUES boss disclosed that the students mobilised and besieged the police station where the bus was parked demanding immediate release of their bus.
“We told the DPO that NUES is not a political association but a students union interested in members welfare and educational development of Etche”, the president said.
He stated that the police demanded from them to sign a letter of undertaking which the students refused as according to him, we are law abiding citizens and have no reason to be part of activities that could negatively affect law and order in the society.
According to him, the council boss, Hon Ukwuoma was contacted and he drove down from Port Harcourt to Okehi and summoned both the police and the students to his office where peace was brokered.
The student leader commended the council boss for his quick intervention, remarking that such reaction of the council boss shows that he is a political leader who has respect for the people and was also passionate about peace.
He, however, observed that the action of the police showed that they did not have good knowledge of the students union programme hence NUES had decided to pay a courtesy visit on the Divisional Police Officer at Okehi soon to acquaint him with the programmes and policies of the union.
“There is need for NUES and the police to work in unity and such harmony would not only help us, it will also help the police to do their job better. We must be partners in progress”, he maintained.
When The Tide visited Okehi Division, the DPO was said to had gone to Port Harcourt but a source who confirmed the incidents said the Federal Road Buss Stop was turning to a security challenge and there was need to check activities that could be inimical to peace in the area.

Chris Oluoh