The tear-gas attack by the Police on newly recruited teachers in Rivers State who reported at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt for their appointment letters is fascist and totalitarian, Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Leyii Kwanee has said
Speaking from Trenton, New Jersey, United States, where he is attending the unveiling ceremony of Rivers State as the World Book Centre, Kwanee described the Police action as “partisanship taken too far.”
Condemning the action, he lampooned Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu for turning Rivers State into a police state and for working assiduously towards frustrating the administration of Governor Rotimi Amaechi by preventing a development programme that has nothing to do with PDP crisis in the state.
“The Obuah-led PDP has been organising political rallies without being dispersed by the Police, not minding the fact that such rallies are in contradistinction with INEC’s regulation and also capable of breaching peace considering the volatile situation in the state,” said Kwanee, who is also Chairman, Parliamentary Exchange and Mentorship Programme of the Pan African Parliament.
He urged well-meaning Nigerians to condemn the development, as the state is sliding into anarchy and the nation to precipice, saying, “It is Governor Amaechi today. Who will it be tomorrow?”
Numbering about 13,000, the teachers had reported at the stadium for their letters but the Police abruptly stormed the scene, tear-gassing and beating them out of the venue. Many sustained injuries in the ensuing stampede.
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chief Felix Obuah later described the event as a ploy by Amaechi’s government to use the “frustrated” youths as protesters on the streets of Port Harcourt against President Goodluck Jonathan. This allegation was further supported by the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers of the House of Assembly, who issued a joint statement, blaming the 13,000 teachers for gathering without police permit, saying they were mobilised by Amaechi to protest against President Jonathan.
However, Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari described the Police action as a crude display of federal might, that is as well senseless, barbaric, shameful and the height of desperation.
“It is crass display of naked power. It is amazing that the government and the good people of Rivers State live under the siege of the police,” she wrote in a statement on behalf of the governor.
“The preponderance of that population is women. Imagine women falling over one another, because of the hot chase and canisters of teargas freely deployed by the police. This is barbaric. The CP (Mbu) ought to apply some tact, even in his mission to destroy Rivers State.
“Virtually, this is the impunity we have been talking about in Rivers State. It is clear to Rivers people that this is the action of retrogressive forces that are totally against development, because this is the first time that any government, whether state or federal, is employing 13,000 teachers at once.
“They are afraid and worried that the people will actually see that work is going on. Otherwise, why do they want to cut short people’s smile? These are people who have been unemployed. Nigeria is crying about unemployment, education system is in a mess and a government employs 13,00 teachers, trains them, wants to feed them into the system and somebody chooses to treat this with levity and to tear-gas the teachers and gives a very stupid excuse, saying that the teachers were there to protest against President Jonathan.”