Despite calls from the police urging organized labor and other groups to suspend their planned protest over the local government tenure elongation crisis in Rivers State, supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, defied the order and staged a protest on Monday.
Approximately 100 protesters gathered near the post office along Azikiwe Road in Port Harcourt and marched to the Port Harcourt City Local Government Secretariat along Bank Road, where they encountered a police barricade.
The protesters displayed placards with various inscriptions, such as “Police keep to your words, CTC is unconstitutional” and “Let the court decide.”
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The state police command, through its spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, had advised the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees and other groups to suspend their planned protest to prevent miscreants from infiltrating their ranks.
Addressing newsmen, the protesters said they were at the council headquarters to support the police’s presence at the 23 local government councils in the state to prevent further violence. Kingsley Ohunda, one of the conveners, stated, “We are Rivers people, and as you can see, this is a harmless and armless protest.
“The police have asked everyone to stay clear of the council premises, which is what we are doing. We received information that some people are trying to protest and ask the police to leave the gate, which we oppose.
The matter before the court will be decided soon, and whoever is supposed to be in the council will take their place. We are peaceful and law-abiding, ensuring that democracy has its focus.”
Ohunda urged the police to keep their word and prevent anyone from accessing the council premises, warning, “If not, we will also gain entrance, and that won’t be nice for all of us.”
Another protester, China Chinda, lamented the loss of lives, including a policeman, during the crisis, saying, “We don’t need that anymore in Rivers. They promised to protect lives and property, so we are here to remind them to keep that promise.”
Mrs. Rose Wori reiterated the call for the police to remain at the council premises pending the court’s ruling on the matter, stating that the establishment of a Caretaker Committee is unconstitutional.
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