The Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers on Monday condemned the violence and breach of peace culminating in several deaths that characterised the 2019 General Elections.
The traditional rulers said they were disappointed by the alleged involvement of the military and SARS officials in the direct process of the 2019 Elections, other than assisting the police to keep peace and maintain law and order when officially invited by INEC to do so.
In communique presented by chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, King Dandison Jaja, they lamented that “Our dear State is progressively turned into a theatre of war by some desperate politicians and their military collaborators.
” The people of Rivers State are being manipulated and humiliated systematically by enemies of the state especially some elected politicians and Government appointees whose desperate attempts to appeal their pay maters amounts to a betrayal of their people.
“As a traditional council, we are committed to ensuring that peace reigns in our domains. We therefore strongly appeal to our sons not to allow themselves to be used to destroy their people and state.
” What we have today is a few government appointees using Federal apparatus including men in uniform to cause chaos and break down of law and order.
” Our people who have attempted to resist such illegality have either been arrested or simply dealt with extra judicially.
” Our kingdoms and communities have been massively militarized, innocent people have been harassed, intimidated in some cases.
“We would have temporarily tolerated the intimidating presence of the military if they were there to keep the peace and protect us from political thugs and miscreants.
” We are sad to note that in many of our kingdoms and communities, the uniformed or military men are actively involved in giving over to politicians and their thugs who are carting away ballot boxes and results sheet.
” There are allegations that some of these uniformed personnel are fake soldier’s but the REAL SOLDIERS have not arrested any of the song called fake soldiers involved in these dastardly acts.
” The army has also come out on AIT today, 11th March 2019 to state that the people in army uniforms are fake!! So, why are they not being arrested if they are thugs in military uniforms.
” The silence of the peace committee headed by Gen. Abdulsalami is deafening.
” This is the time for the said peace committee to call all the parties including the military who are breaching the peace accord to order.
You cannot ask parties to accept the results of elections that are brazenly rigged, manipulated and falsified in an environment of intimidation and violence.
“Last time we checked, the Commander in chief and President of Nigeria has not given any such order, neither has the chief of Army Staff or Air Staff’s, ordered the invasion or full participation of the military in the electoral process in our various kingdoms.
“So,who has deployed the military -Army and Air Force in this number, even assaulting officials of INEC and taking over their premises when they were NOT INVITED BY INEC?
” How come the military has taken over collation centers including the INEC office in Port Harcourt? Why are they fighting with police to take over the INEC office and results coming from lgas?
” We need peace in Rivers State, the people’s will must PREVAIL. The military must remove it self from directly participating in our elections.
” PEACE must return to our state, Our state cannot be used as a battle ground by politicians and their collaborators.
” These politicians will be identified and traditional curses placed on them.
“We urge INEC to declare all verifiable results and immediately look into ONLY compromised results, on unit’s and wards basis, where boxes were snatched by thugs or military personnel.
” We cannot go through another round of elections after date. INEC must ensure that collated results are declared and are not tampered with by 3rd parties.
” The Nigeria Army must immediately identify and arrest the do called political thugs in military uniforms, they are the only organization equipped to do so.
” There politicians do not care about our common interest and security of lives. They are only interested in their blood-stauned victories which they want to achieve at all costs.
” They are directly involved in procuring armed thugs and military personnel to terrorize and destroy our communities.
” Several persons were killed in Abonnema, Ogoni, Ahoada West, Emuoha and etc.
“We are calling on the federal government of Nigeria, all Nigerians and the international community to come to our aid”
