Police Foil PANDEF Meeting In PH

A detachment of police personnel from the Rivers State Police Command formations in Port Harcourt, yesterday, barred journalists and delegates from gaining entrance into the Hotel Presidential, venue of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) meeting.
Although reasons for the police action were not immediately known,  conflicting accounts from delegates had it that the police action was as a result of the internal crisis rocking the PANDEF.
A delegate from Cross River State, who spoke under condition of anonymity with The Tide said that the meeting was convened to look at two issues.
According to him, the issues include the adoption of a new constitution for the forum as well as election of officers.
He said that on the election, each of the states of the Niger Delta was required to come with 30 delegates.
According to him, trouble started when it was discovered that some states such as Rivers and Bayelsa were allegedly coming with 100 delegates each, adding that this situation infuriated the leadership which called for police intervention.
The Cross River State delegate, who is a media practitioner, decried the situation, adding that delegates from all over the Niger Delta are now stranded in the state.
Also reacting, a Rivers State delegate, Elder Amabipi Martins, decried the situation, adding that he was invited but was not allowed to enter the venue.
Martins who ruled out ‘orders from above’ also claimed that there was allegation that some persons were planning to protest at the venue of the meeting.
He, however, stressed the need for the forum to purge itself of internal crisis, adding that it was embarrassing that people should be invited from across the Niger Delta only for them to be stranded.
The Tide learnt that some elders of the forum later held a meeting at Emerald Hotel, Rumuola, some few poles away from the initial venue of the meeting.
When contacted, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni said that the police took the action following intelligence reports of security threat.
Omoni alleged of a ploy by some group within PANDEF to unleash mayhem on innocent people, adding that police have to take action to forestall a breakdown of law and order.