By Tina Amanda
A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Rivers State University and former Commissioner of Urban Development and Physical Planning, Dr. Reason Onya, has threatened to take legal action against individuals responsible for ongoing blackmail and the spread of escapism theories targeting Chief of Staff Edison Ehie and Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Onya disclosed this in an interview with our Correspondent in Port Harcourt while reacting to the recent allegation on Edison Ehie being part of a PRO Democratic group sponsoring the supposed national-wide protest scheduled to be held on 29 July 2024.
He expressed concern that the people of Ekpeye nationality are not happy with the constant distraction and allegations leveled on their son Edison Ehie.
He emphasized that the aim of the perpetrators is to de-market Ehie and the government of Rivers State before the federal government of Nigeria, in order to justify their call for a state of emergency in Rivers State.
“The accusations are not pleasant on my own part, neither on my people, because there has been consistent approach on him, again and again.
“They have been applying the concept of escapism theory trying to ensure that Ehie is always blackmailed. In a nutshell, they have perpetually come up with anti-Semitism on Ehie and the Governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara to project them as a scapegoat to the authorities to they are answerable.
“Ensuring they are been blackmailed in a way the public and the federal government of Nigeria sees Edison Ehie and the Governor of Rivers State as not being the good people they portray themselves to be.
“They want to make sure the federal government is totally against them and that is why at a given period these same people talked about a State of emergency in Rivers State, at a certain period they go into one act or the other just to ensure the good Governor of Rivers State and Ehie is been dragged into the mud.
“To infuriate the federal government through this theory of blackmail, escapism, anti-semitism concept that is been used. I will definitely go to court both inter and intra, after proper consultation I will do that if they refuse to stop their antisemitism and blackmail on Edison Ehie and the government of Rivers State”.
The Former Commissioner of Urban Development, however, urged President Bola Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians to disregard all the concerted lies leveled against Edison Ehie and the good Government of Rivers State.
“I know the President is a Democrat who has gone beyond all these antics. I strongly believe that he would not acknowledge any of these approaches being applied by these actors to deprive Rivers State of getting its benefits.
“Edison would not have said they should go and protest against Tinubu, Edison being said to be holding a meeting with a PRO-Democratic group, means the Rivers State Government is sponsoring him to do that. What is the formation derived from that?
“You see the whole thing is channeled towards declaring Rivers State as a state of emergency.
“The good people of Rivers State should not listen to that and I believe also the generality of Nigeria will not buy into their mischievous act of blackmail approaches”.
