Curbing Political Violence In Rivers
In the past few months the people of Rivers State have been witnessing political violence, and series of demonstrations. Precisely July 9, 2013, there was a political uproar in the Rivers Sate House of Assembly which led to an impeachment of its speaker, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan Amachree.
The Rivers Assembly crisis has set the state backward, as the highly factionalized members of House are unable to sit to deliberate on the progress of the state and enact laws that will put smiles on the masses. Today the Rivers Assembly has two speakers Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi and Otelemaba Dan Amachree. This is not a healthy development as far as democracy is concerned.
Penultimate week, a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Magnus Abe was alleged shot by the Nigeria Police during the launching of a socio-political group known as Save Rivers Movement, Rumuola in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Sometime last dynamite exploded at the venue of the inauguration of the LGA and Ward Officers of the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI) in Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area. On Tuesday youths from Ikwerre ethnic nationality staged a peaceful protest in Port Harcourt. During the Tuesday’s protest, both social and commercial activities in the state capital were paralyzed.
No doubt several persons have sustained life threatening injuries through these senseless demonstrations and violence.
If this situation is allowed to continue, in no distant time, the state will be plunged into a very dangerous crisis.
Therefore, government and relevant agencies should act fast to save the state from destruction. ###
