By Florence Ebebe
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has vehemently condemned the recent ban of protests announced by the State Government, describing the decision as, “the height of absurdity by a government.”
In a press statement sent to The Legend, The state publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Finebone reminded the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, that there was a judicial precedence which admits rallies and placard carrying as a form of expression in a sovereign state.
The statement further argued that the unfortunate decision by the government is intended to blindfold the people of Rivers State from seeing the inadequacies of the Wike administration and the atrocities it is committing against the people.
Said he, “we believe that Gov. Nyesom Wike who authorised the ban is unaware that Rivers people and indeed Nigerians have inalienable right to peaceful protest. Perhaps the governor should be reminded that Honourable Justice Adekeye J.S.C. (rtd) once stated that, “A rally or placard carrying demonstration has become a form of expression of views on current issues affecting government and the governed in a sovereign state.
“It is a tread recognized and deeply entrenched in the system of governance in civilized countries. We must borrow a leaf from those who have trekked the rugged path of democracy and are now reaping the dividend of their experience.”
Finebone wondered why Gov. Wike would fritter a good chunk of the commonwealth of Rivers people in sponsoring frivolous protests, only to turn around and issue a ban on protests in less than 24 hours, afterwards.
According to the spokesman, the reason can only be that those protesting on the opposite side are now providing Rivers people and Nigerians better perspectives on the happenings in Rivers State.
The governor, he said, is simply acting like someone with a weak and incoherent argument against the more coherent, sensible and logical argument of the opponent.
“Another reason for the ineffectual ban is to scuttle further exposure of the ills and atrocities of the Rivers State Government under Gov. Nyesom Wike who believes that pensioners, civil servants, workers of RSSDA and Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority and others may soon protest their abandonment and suffering by the governor since he accidentally got to power in 2015.
“Yesterday, a serving Commissioner put a call through to our party to impress on Gov. Wike to stop wasting money that belongs to Rivers people on sponsoring and organizing needless protests for the governor over the March 9 elections. It was really touching for such a call to come from someone against the government he is working for.
“Such calls have become very regular over the past 3 years from suffering pensioners, workers of RSSDA, Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority and civil servants who have to endure a state secretariat without water, good hygiene and oftentimes without power,” he added.
The APC also warned that the governor’s ban on protests was a waste of time, adding that the Nigeria Police cannot enforce an illegal ban except the governor intends, “ to deploy his usual gun-toting hoodlums,” to do his bidding. .
