THE Commissioner of Police for Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Mbu has, on Monday placed a ban on any form of political rally in the state.
He said the decision was based on the increasing political tension in the state,and the ban affects political rallies under any guise.
The State Police Command had before the outright ban on political rallies, directed that those holding rallies in the state should apply for police permission.
He also prohibited activities involving the Grassroots Development Initiative, Save Rivers Movement, and the Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation.
“The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that as a result of increasing political tension in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command, has banned all political rallies in the State under whatever coloration or name.
“Accordingly, all public activities involving rallies of Grassroots Development Initiative, Save Rivers Movement , Rivers Leadership Advancement Foundation and whatever other names, are hereby banned,” a statement signed by the Command’s spokesman, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad read.
Mbu warned that the State Police Command would not provide security for any group that would henceforth organise rallies.
The state police commissioner, however, stated that party membership registration would only be allowed based on the provisions of the Electoral Act and regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to the statement, “Rivers State Police Command will not; I repeat; will not provide security for any group in whatever guise.
“Party membership drive is allowed strictly as stipulated in Electoral Act 2010 as amended and INEC regulations, please.”
Reacting, the President of the Save Rivers Movement, Mr. Charles Ahorlu, said the police had no right to ban political rallies in the state.
Hmmmm....what do you think???
Showing posts with label Mbu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mbu. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Anti-Amaechi Protesters Threatens To Shut Down Port Harcourt Airport if Mbu is removed As Rivers CP
THOUSANDS of youths from the four local government areas of Rivers State that make up Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality, on Tuesday, threatened to shut down the Port Harcourt International Airport, if the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, was redeployed to another state.
The protesters, who carried placards and sang songs of praises for the CP, had blocked a portion of the busy Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu road for an hour.
The youths also warned that they would not hesitate to shut down other entry points to the state from Ikwerre, oil wells and flow stations within the four local government areas.
While travellers going to Aba, Enugu and Umuahia were stranded for an hour as a result of the heavy traffic build-up, others coming into Port Harcourt could not get to their destination as a result of the huge crowd on the expressway.
Some of the protesters’ placards read, ‘With Mbu, no more political assassination’; ‘Ikwerre disowns Amaechi’; ‘IG, they will kill us all if you transfer Mbu’; ‘No CP Mbu, no International Airport’; ‘Mbu is needed in Rivers more than ever’ and ‘Jonathan government is the best’.
The four local government areas that make up the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality are Port Harcourt, Emohua, Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre.
Addressing the crowd during the demonstration, the spokesman for Ikwerre Peoples Assembly, Mr. Chima Boms, said the state police commissioner had performed well and deserved commendation.
Boms said, “Consequently, the Ikwerre Peoples Assembly will resist any attempt to redeploy Mbu as the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, as such move will take us back to the dark era.
“Any redeployment of CP Mbu at this time will be asking for the total shutdown of all entry points to Rivers State, including the (Port Harcourt) International Airport, which the Ikwerre people play host to, and all oil wells, flow stations and other facilities in our land.”
The protesters, who carried placards and sang songs of praises for the CP, had blocked a portion of the busy Port Harcourt-Aba-Enugu road for an hour.
The youths also warned that they would not hesitate to shut down other entry points to the state from Ikwerre, oil wells and flow stations within the four local government areas.
While travellers going to Aba, Enugu and Umuahia were stranded for an hour as a result of the heavy traffic build-up, others coming into Port Harcourt could not get to their destination as a result of the huge crowd on the expressway.
Some of the protesters’ placards read, ‘With Mbu, no more political assassination’; ‘Ikwerre disowns Amaechi’; ‘IG, they will kill us all if you transfer Mbu’; ‘No CP Mbu, no International Airport’; ‘Mbu is needed in Rivers more than ever’ and ‘Jonathan government is the best’.
The four local government areas that make up the Ikwerre Ethnic Nationality are Port Harcourt, Emohua, Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre.
Addressing the crowd during the demonstration, the spokesman for Ikwerre Peoples Assembly, Mr. Chima Boms, said the state police commissioner had performed well and deserved commendation.
Boms said, “Consequently, the Ikwerre Peoples Assembly will resist any attempt to redeploy Mbu as the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, as such move will take us back to the dark era.
“Any redeployment of CP Mbu at this time will be asking for the total shutdown of all entry points to Rivers State, including the (Port Harcourt) International Airport, which the Ikwerre people play host to, and all oil wells, flow stations and other facilities in our land.”
Friday, January 17, 2014
Wole Soyinka advice that Rivers state police commisioner;Mbu be transferred to Borno State
Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka was scathing in his review of the security situation in Rivers State yesterday. He accused President Goodluck Jonathan of “looking elsewhere for the smoke in the plane” while “the fire is right on his own roof at Aso Villa.
“Before the fire becomes unstoppable, something must be done to put it off,” he said.
The eminent writer said the President should transfer the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to fight the Boko Haram menace.
Soyinka spoke in Osogbo on Wednesday during the celebration of the late African icon, Nelson Mandela, at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) in the Osun State capital.
He said the likes of CP Mbu is not required in peaceful states like Rivers, Osun and Lagos, adding that “people who are so tough, so unbeatable and untouchable should be sent to Maiduguri to go and confront the greatest menace the country is facing now” (the Boko Haram).
“Since Mbu is such a tough cop that is so powerful and mighty that he can steamroll over the democratic process of this nation and to show how tough he is, I recommend to Jonathan that he should be sent to Maiduguri to go and show his powers there with Boko Haram”, he said.
Soyinka said he was ashamed to be a citizen of a country where a police commissioner could act with impunity and opened fire on unarmed people who were exercising their fundamental human rights as upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He described as “more shameful” that “there has not been any reaction from Aso Rock Villa on the ugly incident as at date.”
Mbu said he ordered his men to smash a rally last Sunday by a non- governmental orgamisation in Port Harcourt because the rally was not permitted by him.
Senator Magnus Abe was shot at with rubber bullet. Abe alongside Chief of Staff Government House in Rivers State Tony Okocha were injured. Abe is recuperating at a London hospital.
Soyinka insisted that people do not require a police permit to meet and that the police are obliged to provide protection for people meeting peacefully.
He remarked that if Nelson Mandela had been at the head of Nigeria, “any policeman or law enforcement officer who fires even a rubber bullet at innocent people – I am not even talking about a senator or politician or opposition – innocent people harmlessly holding a meeting and any officer be it soldier, policeman, vigilante who intrudes in such a meeting with violence using state’s power or the people’s armoury to injure or traumatise the citizens, such an individual would be in jail now, however highly placed”.
Soyinka advised President Jonathan to quickly call Mbu to order before he wreaks havoc on the democratic process.
The Nobel laureate pointed out that what is happening in Rivers State is not an affair of the state alone but that which concerns every Nigerian.
He reminded Mbu of the existence and jurisdiction of the International Court of Crimes Against Humanity adding, “I want to tell Mbu that one of these days, he would find himself in front of that criminal court and he would go and keep company with Charles Taylor and the killers in Rwanda”.
“Before the fire becomes unstoppable, something must be done to put it off,” he said.
The eminent writer said the President should transfer the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to fight the Boko Haram menace.
Soyinka spoke in Osogbo on Wednesday during the celebration of the late African icon, Nelson Mandela, at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) in the Osun State capital.
He said the likes of CP Mbu is not required in peaceful states like Rivers, Osun and Lagos, adding that “people who are so tough, so unbeatable and untouchable should be sent to Maiduguri to go and confront the greatest menace the country is facing now” (the Boko Haram).
“Since Mbu is such a tough cop that is so powerful and mighty that he can steamroll over the democratic process of this nation and to show how tough he is, I recommend to Jonathan that he should be sent to Maiduguri to go and show his powers there with Boko Haram”, he said.
Soyinka said he was ashamed to be a citizen of a country where a police commissioner could act with impunity and opened fire on unarmed people who were exercising their fundamental human rights as upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He described as “more shameful” that “there has not been any reaction from Aso Rock Villa on the ugly incident as at date.”
Mbu said he ordered his men to smash a rally last Sunday by a non- governmental orgamisation in Port Harcourt because the rally was not permitted by him.
Senator Magnus Abe was shot at with rubber bullet. Abe alongside Chief of Staff Government House in Rivers State Tony Okocha were injured. Abe is recuperating at a London hospital.
Soyinka insisted that people do not require a police permit to meet and that the police are obliged to provide protection for people meeting peacefully.
He remarked that if Nelson Mandela had been at the head of Nigeria, “any policeman or law enforcement officer who fires even a rubber bullet at innocent people – I am not even talking about a senator or politician or opposition – innocent people harmlessly holding a meeting and any officer be it soldier, policeman, vigilante who intrudes in such a meeting with violence using state’s power or the people’s armoury to injure or traumatise the citizens, such an individual would be in jail now, however highly placed”.
Soyinka advised President Jonathan to quickly call Mbu to order before he wreaks havoc on the democratic process.
The Nobel laureate pointed out that what is happening in Rivers State is not an affair of the state alone but that which concerns every Nigerian.
He reminded Mbu of the existence and jurisdiction of the International Court of Crimes Against Humanity adding, “I want to tell Mbu that one of these days, he would find himself in front of that criminal court and he would go and keep company with Charles Taylor and the killers in Rwanda”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)