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My Support For Peterside, Total – Abe …As APC Flays Arrest Of Chieftains
Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, Chairman Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and Rivers South East Senatorial candidate on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC has said that his support for Dr. Dakuku Peterside, governorship candidate of the APC is total.
Abe who insists that Peterside remains the best governorship candidate for this election made the declaration during APC rally Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.
“In Rivers State, we have made up our mind; our next governor is Dr. Dakuku Peterside. My name is Magnus Ngei Abe and I am supporting Dr. Dakuku Peterside one hundred per cent. That matter is settled and I have my reasons why I am supporting him.
“The first reason is that I know him. With Dr. Peterside, Rivers State is safe; the state will be in safe and competent hands. We have a governor we can talk to and he will listen to us because he is our friend and brother. Therefore, the issue of governorship in Rivers State is settled.
“Then there is also the issue of equity. We cannot have Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as governor for eight years and then another Ikwerre man for another eight years. The name of this state is Rivers State; it belongs to all of us. “Power must move round. If it does not move round, it will not get to other people. We are going to use our votes to move power away from Ikwerre”.
“The third reason is that with Dr Peterside we are sure he will consolidate on the achievements of Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Other persons who are in this race will destroy all we have laboured to build these years because of ego, pride and selfishness”, he added.
Meanwhile, The Greater Together Campaign Organisation has condemned in strong terms the indiscriminate arrest and detention of members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State.
The organisation, which is campaigning for the governorship of Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, noted the resort to undemocratic style in an election period by the Nigeria Police Force, a Federal security agency, that should be non-partisan.
In a statement in Port Harcourt the organizations Director of Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said the arrests and detention, were masterminded by the Peoples Democratic Party, to provoke members of APC into retaliatory actions under which the police would launch a broader clampdown.
“What is happening is part of a ploy not only to intimidate APC members, but to also provoke them into retaliatory measures for which more clampdown will be launched by the already biased police”, the statement released in Port Harcourt read in part.
While it reiterated APC’s commitment to fair and issue-based campaign, the Greater Together Campaign Organisation berated PDP for being shy in selling its programs and manifesto to Rivers people.
“This attitude of PDP stems from the fact that it has nothing other than violence to propagate. We are worried that PDP is synonymous with violence and unfortunately, that it achieves in connivance with the police, a national institution serviced with the taxpayers’ money”, she said.
“The electorate in Rivers State is familiar with the hate sermons often preached by the PDP at its campaigns and rallies. Its style is alien to politics where a political party canvasses for votes by selling its unique product”, she added.
“In all of those, we find the police culpable as having compromised their apolitical role. We are, indeed concerned that rather than strengthen this national institution, PDP has compromised the Force placing it at its beck and call. At several fora, PDP members had threatened the peace of Rivers State, and had indeed, performed violent acts against APC supporters. Surprisingly, such PDP ‘untouchables’ walk the streets as free men. An example in hand is that of a former Chairman of Obio/Akpor local government who recently, accompanied by thugs, attacked an APC assembly inflicting deep machete cuts on members. Both the ex-Chairman and the attackers still walk freely, and may even be planning worse attacks on APC members. We are not aware the police invited them for questioning”, the APC Spokesperson said.
According to her, “In the face of these unpleasant moments in Rivers State, our stand is that the police should revert to their constitutional role of maintenance of law and order in an impartial manner. Their support for PDP aggravates the spate of attacks on APC members and supporters.
We hold this view that would this Force take its stand to serve all, the attacks will seize and ongoing campaigns in the state will be hitch-free”.
The Party urge the Inspector-General of Police to call his officers and men in Rivers State to order as their partisanship is creating worse violent situation which is at variance with democracy.
United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle (middle) addressing key governorship candidates in Rivers State at the signing of non-violence pact in Port Harcourt, yesterday. He is flanked by religious leaders: Catholic Bishop of Port Harcourt, Dr Camillus Etokudo (left), Bishop Winston Iwoh of Grace Covenant Ministries (2nd left), state INEC Commissioner, Gesila Khan (2nd right) and Archbishop Ignatius Kattey of Niger Delta Anglican Communion
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.