A group of protesters under the aegis of Coalition of Ethnic Based
Pressure Groups and Human Rights Groups in Rivers State (COEGHAR), on
Thursday, stormed the United States Embassy in Lagos, demanding for the
US government’s intervention in addressing what it called the
unacceptable high level of insecurity in the state.
According to the protesters led by Celestine Akpobari, Comrade Charles Inko-Tariah, among others, the killings, maiming, and all others atrocities if not urgently addressed, will scuttle the attempts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair election not only in Nigeria but Rivers State in particular.
A letter of protest titled, ‘Re: Protest Against Acts of Politically Motivated Harassment, Intimidation, Orchestrated Violence and Killings in Rivers State of Nigeria,’ and addressed to the Secretary of State, United States of America, was later handed to an official of the embassy.
Addressing newsmen thereafter, the coordinator of COEGHAR, Mr Inko-Tariah called upon the
American government and the international community to prevail on the authorities in Nigeria, to allow the police and law enforcement agencies to carry out their work of ensuring security of lives and property.
Inko-Tariah said this should be done to allow for a conducive atmosphere in the forthcoming general elections and to save the people’s lives and democracy in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general.
The coordinator of COEGHAR said that the US government should not be concerned with the signing of the peace agreement by political leaders in the country but should also see to the implementation of such agreement to ensure peace and harmony before, during amnd after the elections.
“We note the continued interest of the United States of America in ensuring that nothing will scuttle the democratic system currently in place in Nigeria, and recall with gratitude your recent visit to Nigeria which precipitated the signing of a non-violence pact by the presidential candidates of the two leading political parties in Nigeria, being the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We also recall the move by the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, who brokered a local peace pact in Rivers State among the leadership of the APC, PDP and Labour Parties.”
“It is rather unfortunate that instead of the above stated peace pacts achieving the aims for which they were signed, what we are currently witnessing is that Rivers State has been placed under siege and is daily being consumed by mindless violence which has resulted in the deaths of several innocent souls.
“We particularly note that deaths have occurred in Abua/ Odual LGA; Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA and Okrika LGA all in Rivers State,” COEGHAR said in the protest signed by Akpobari.
The group, which said it could not categorically point accusing fingers at
any of the parties, stated that it was clear that most of the violence was coming from quarters that had rendered the police and other law
enforcement agencies in Rivers State incapable or unwilling to combat the perpetrators and bring them to book.
“We have thus lost all confidence in the ability of the police in Rivers State to properly handle the security situation in the state and protect the citizenry,” the group declared.
culled
According to the protesters led by Celestine Akpobari, Comrade Charles Inko-Tariah, among others, the killings, maiming, and all others atrocities if not urgently addressed, will scuttle the attempts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair election not only in Nigeria but Rivers State in particular.
A letter of protest titled, ‘Re: Protest Against Acts of Politically Motivated Harassment, Intimidation, Orchestrated Violence and Killings in Rivers State of Nigeria,’ and addressed to the Secretary of State, United States of America, was later handed to an official of the embassy.
Addressing newsmen thereafter, the coordinator of COEGHAR, Mr Inko-Tariah called upon the
American government and the international community to prevail on the authorities in Nigeria, to allow the police and law enforcement agencies to carry out their work of ensuring security of lives and property.
Inko-Tariah said this should be done to allow for a conducive atmosphere in the forthcoming general elections and to save the people’s lives and democracy in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general.
The coordinator of COEGHAR said that the US government should not be concerned with the signing of the peace agreement by political leaders in the country but should also see to the implementation of such agreement to ensure peace and harmony before, during amnd after the elections.
“We note the continued interest of the United States of America in ensuring that nothing will scuttle the democratic system currently in place in Nigeria, and recall with gratitude your recent visit to Nigeria which precipitated the signing of a non-violence pact by the presidential candidates of the two leading political parties in Nigeria, being the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We also recall the move by the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle, who brokered a local peace pact in Rivers State among the leadership of the APC, PDP and Labour Parties.”
“It is rather unfortunate that instead of the above stated peace pacts achieving the aims for which they were signed, what we are currently witnessing is that Rivers State has been placed under siege and is daily being consumed by mindless violence which has resulted in the deaths of several innocent souls.
“We particularly note that deaths have occurred in Abua/ Odual LGA; Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA and Okrika LGA all in Rivers State,” COEGHAR said in the protest signed by Akpobari.
The group, which said it could not categorically point accusing fingers at
any of the parties, stated that it was clear that most of the violence was coming from quarters that had rendered the police and other law
enforcement agencies in Rivers State incapable or unwilling to combat the perpetrators and bring them to book.
“We have thus lost all confidence in the ability of the police in Rivers State to properly handle the security situation in the state and protect the citizenry,” the group declared.
culled
No comments:
Post a Comment