False reports of political killings sponsored by misguided politicians- Governor Wike

Press statement from River state Government house, Portharcourt.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that the reports of alleged massive insecurity and political killings before the rerun elections were concocted by misguided politicians to mislead Nigerians.

He declared that Rivers State is largely peaceful with increasing internally generated revenue, IGR, that indicate that businesses are thriving and functional.

Speaking when he granted audience to the Members of the House of Representatives Committee on the Army on Monday investigating the military invasion of Ogoni communities , Governor Wike said that after the rerun elections the sponsored propaganda reports no longer dominate the media because there are no political killings in the state.

He said : "Before the rerun elections, you heard of repeated reports of alleged political killings sponsored by misguided politicians. Now that they elections are over, you no longer see such reports.

"Like every other state, we have our security challenges, but we don’t have political killings. We have cases of cult related violence, but the security agencies are tackling the issue frontally with the support of the Rivers State Government ".

He decried the tendency to play politics with security , noting that the security challenges in the state were prompted by the politicisation of the state's security framework.

"We have a secure state where businesses are thriving. That is why our internally generated revenue is growing regularly", he added.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the Army, Mr Rimamde Shawulu Kwewum said that the committee was in the state on a fact finding mission following a petition against the army by the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, on the killings of Ogoni people in their communities.

He said that the committee was not in the state to apportion blame, but to determine what led to the alleged death of 24 persons during the military invasion.

He said : "We are not here to defend any political party. The life of any person is important, irrespective of his political party "

The Federal lawmaker informed the governor that the committee would hold public hearing and also visit the affected communities.

Simeon Nwakaudu,
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.
18th April, 2016.