Lorine Emenike
Civil Society Organizations in Rivers State have condemned the conduct of the February 23rd Presidential and National Assembly election in Rivers State.
The state chairman of Rivers Civil Society Organization (RIVSCO), Comrade Enefa Georgewill in a press statement stated that, ” RIVSCO, other sisters CSOs and its media partners prior to the elections made frantic efforts to educate Rivers people and all election stakeholders in the state on the need for a free, fair and credible election. These campaigns came in the form of town hall meetings, neighbourhood rallies, state institutions engagement, radio jingles, voters education, posters and billboard campaigns and major election sensitization rally in the three senatorial districts in Rivers State”.
He said that RIVSCO equally equally undertook a preelection schedule investigation and publicized same with the media and other international platforms.
“Despite the sacrifice of individuals and organizational cost, election stakeholders still refused to play by the rules of the game”.
“RIVSCO states without fear or favour that some political parties in the state mobilized thugs to different part of the state to intimidate, cajole and force voters and opposition political parties to do their biddings in some local government areas such as Abonema in Akuku Toru local government area, Andoni, Bonny, Okrika, Khana, Gokana, Tai, Emohua, Ikwerre, Asari Toru, etc.
“Thugs equally loyal to one political party or the other was seen wielding sophisticated rifles, machetes, dynamites and other life-threatening weapons.
“In fact in Abonema, party thugs threw dynamites and shot sophisticated guns from the elections eve to the election day proper.
“Agencies have been vindicated, as we have severally accused political parties and politicians of funding miscreants in our state, this past election has shown that our politicians and political elites are the primary sponsors of cult groups, gangs, disturbing the Peace of this state”.
“RIVSCO uses this medium to commend the INEC resident electoral commissioner Obong Efanga for his strict stance on compliance to due process.
However, we must state our displeasure over the late arrival of materials in most polling unit and the unprofessional conduct of some INEC staff”.
“We send our heartfelt condolence to INEC and the families of Ibisaki Amachree Mazi, who lost her life in the cost of serving her father’s land and indeed all other staff and ad hoc staff of INEC, who either lost their lives or were injured during the election, for us in RIVSCO you are the true hero of our democracy”.
” Our reporters reported that security agencies were purely partisan as they were seen supporting one political party against the other. While we condemn and commensurate with members of the Nigeria army for the alleged killing of a lieutenant in Abonema. It is our opinion that members of the Nigerian army were not professional in their relationship with the law-abiding citizens of Abonema after the fiascos or fracas which happened between the army and the thugs hired by politicians.
“Personnel of the Nigeria army treated all our Rivers citizens as perpetrators of the act and citizens were flogged at random and everybody was forced to stay indoors until about 2 pm on Sunday. There were equally reports that the army were not professional in the way and manner they managed the crisis after the whole process”.
“We call on the winner of the Presidential election to immediately pass the newly amended electoral act into law, we also call on him to call for an impartial judicial panel of enquiry to ascertain the truth and punish all those guilty of the killings appropriately. We also urge the chief of army staff to investigate his men and punish those who play outside the rule of engagement.
“Also, we call on elders of Rivers State to speak out and call on our desperate politicians to play by the rules of the game. Also, we call on the government to provide employment to our teaming youths as this is the bedrock of youth restiveness in our dear state”.
