Rivers APC Alleges Its 30 Supporters Killed, says ‘We are now endangered species’

Rivers APC Alleges Its 30 Supporters Killed, says ‘We are now endangered species’   

*Demands for the immediate rescue of kidnapped Ndigbara

By Nwaorgu Faustinus

The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that over its 30 supporters have been killed in the political violence that has rocked the State in the past few months. The party stated this in a press statement today, Thursday 26 February 2015.

“Our investigations showed that we have lost no fewer than 30 of our members and supporters in political attacks instigated in parts of the State by agents of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As painful as this is, we are miffed that no single arrest has been made by the police in connection with these politically-motivated killings calculated to intimidate and annihilate us a political party,” Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Davis Ibiamu Ikanya, said.

Ikanya in a statement issued in Port Harcourt lamented that those behind the killings are becoming increasingly emboldened by the day as demonstrated by their brazen attack on APC’s gubernatorial campaign train in Okrika on 18^th February 2015.

“With the shooting, bombing and successful disruption of our Okrika rally which was aimed principally at eliminating our gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, with the successful kidnapping of Fred Ndigbara, a civil servant working in the Media Unit of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Governor of Rivers State, we indeed need no soothsayer to tell us that we are no longer protected but now endangered species. When a political party is denied the right to canvas for votes in an assumed democratic system, as has been done to us in Okrika, we can only conclude that Nigeria is slowly but steadily slipping into a state of anarchy. With the lives of our people threatened on daily basis, with the security agencies looking the other way, we have every reason to wonder if the PDP-controlled Federal Government is truly serious that elections will hold in Rivers State during the general elections scheduled for March and April,” Ikanya said.

The Rivers APC Chairman commended Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, “for ordering full investigation into the madness that happened at Okrika, where one of the policemen providing security at our rally was brutally killed”.

 He also commended Zone 6 Assistant Inspector General of Police, Tunde Ogunsakin, for ordering Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Dan Bature, to rescue Mr. Fred Ndigbara from the hands of those that kidnapped him while on a democratic duty during the rally of APC at Khana recently. “We however wish to emphasise that something serious must be done soon to avoid us losing hope on the ability of the police to secure our lives,” Ikanya said.

He added: “PDP and its promoters can’t be allowed to continue to act with impunity as if the police are an extension of the party as being boasted by some of its chieftains. It is very unfortunate and sad that a Police Force that is being sustained and maintained by our taxes should allow its reputation to be ruined by a group of people who do not mean well for our State.

“We hereby demand the immediate rescue of Mr. Fred Ndigbara, a harmless fellow whose only crime is belonging to APC, and that adequate protection be accorded to our gubernatorial candidate and the entire APC leadership in Rivers State. We also demand a stop to the further harassment of our members. We are full citizens of this country and we can no longer tolerate being treated like second class citizens.”

Rivers APC commiserated with the family of the slain policeman, police corporal Ifeanyi Okorie and assured that it will do everything humanly possible to ensure that his children are given the best education that they need to succeed in life. The party thanked the leadership of the Federal House of Representatives for showing solidarity with Dr. Peterside and the leadership of APC over the unwarranted Okrika attack and for demanding that the security agencies should get to the root of the matter.

Celebration Galore: UNESCO World Book Capital School opens in Port Harcourt

Celebration Galore: UNESCO World Book Capital School opens in Port Harcourt

It was celebration galore in Part Harcourt as pupils of Banham Primary School, Aggrey Road, were during the week moved to the UNESCO World Book Capital Model Primary School situated at Moscow Road in the Rivers State capital. The formal commencement of academic activities in this world-class school ranked as one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa marks the fulfillment of yet another promise by the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

The UNESCO World Book Capital School is one of the newly constructed 20-classroom school blocks built across the State by the Amaechi administration as part of its efforts to expand access to education by pupils across the State. The State Government had on 16th January 2015 commenced the movement of pupils from old schools to the newly constructed one-storey 20-classroom blocks which Amaechi promised to deliver before handing over power on May 29.

Pupils of Banham Primary could not contain their joy upon seeing the facilities at the UNESCO World Book Capital School, their new place of study. The school is well equipped with the state-of-the-art facilities like the sick bay, library, music class, science laboratories, and ICT, etc.

The Head Teacher of the school, Mrs. Ibiene Ereme, said that she was short of words to describe the kind of facilities in the school. She said that the teachers and pupils can now settle down to teach and learn as the conducive environment provided by the State Government will make teaching very easy and learning fun. Mrs. Ereme, who was full of commendation for the State Government, promised that the teachers would do their best in bringing up properly educated children in the new environment.

On their part, pupils of the school also lavished praises on Governor Amaechi for providing a conducive learning environment for them. They said that the new school cannot be compared to where they were coming from, observing that the new environment would make them to study harder and aim high in life.

Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Sir Ali Oruitemeka, said the pupils were moved to the new structure because the environment is more conducive for learning. He stated that the upsurge in the enrolment of pupils into Government-owned schools in Rivers State necessitated the construction of 20-classroom blocks across the State. The schools are well equipped with books and e-books. They are being used by the State Government to promote reading culture among pupils and students. Every pupil of the schools has a reading period as pupils are made to pick a book, read and summarise during the book review segment.

It would be recalled that UNESCO, moved by the revolutionary feats of Governor Amaechi in the education sector, crowned Port Harcourt the 2014 World Book Capital City in April 2014, beating ten other great cities that include Oxford in England and Moscow in Russia. Governor Amaechi thereafter promised to build a world-class primary school to commemorate the feat – a promise which he has now fulfilled with the formal opening of the UNESCO World Book Capital School, Port Harcourt.

Amaechi’s feats in the area of education that moved UNESCO to choose Port Harcourt as the World Book Capital City are unequalled by any African leader, either in the past or present. His administration has churned out over 500 Model Primary Schools and 24 Model Secondary Schools that are termed to be better than some universities in Africa. It has also employed about 13,000 teachers, offering free education with free books as part of a strong vision to promote and sustain activities that would make promotion of literary activities and make literacy a staple in the State’s agenda.