Gladys Nweke
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has vowed to conduct the local government council polls scheduled for June 16, despite distractions and intimidations by those it termed ‘enemies of democracy’ in the state.
The Chairman and Chief Electoral Officer, Justice Chukwunoye Uriri (rtd), stated this after being conducted round the RSIEC office at Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area, which was invaded by unknown gunmen, last weekend.
TPCN learnt that some gunmen had invaded the Bori office of Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, and destroyed properties worth millions of Naira.
The commissioner in-charge of the area, Rev Innocent Karibo explained to the RSIEC chairman that he was informed of the destruction of the office by the assistant electoral officer in the local government area.
Uriri, who was accompanied by the Inspector in-charge of crime in the Bori Police Division, Inspector Jerry Ochre, urged the police and other security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the act are arrested.
He assured that the commission would assist the security agencies in ensuring that those behind the destruction of the office are arrested and prosecuted.
According to him, the commission will not be intimidated in her quest to conduct a violence-free, fair and credible election in the state and warned those trying to undermine the efforts of the commission to refrain from such attitude.
“The commission will continue to uphold truth, fairness and provide a level playing ground to all the aspirants contesting the June 16, 2018, Local Government Area elections’’, he said.
Theportcitynews.com reported that some of the properties destroyed by the hoodlums include: seven GNP windows, office chairs and tables, while some documents were burnt beyond recognition.
Sources hinted that some items recovered at the scene by the police where three used bullets and unexploded packs of dynamite.
