Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has declared that his administration would no longer fund security agencies in the State.
His declaration followed his earlier claims that security agencies connived with the All Progressives Congress, APC, to truncate the will of the people during the rerun legislative elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared the PDP winner of the Rivers East and Rivers West Senatorial Districts in the rerun elections conducted on December 10, 2016.
Declaring the result for Rivers East Senatorial District, Returning Officer , Prof Onu Ekumankama announced that PDP’s Senator George Sekibo polled 98, 098 votes to defeat Mr Andrew Uchendu of the APC who polled 34, 193 votes.
For Rivers West Senatorial District, Returning Officer for the District, Prof Raphael Ndubuisi Echebiri declared that PDP’S Osinakachukwu Ideozu polled 107, 166 votes to defeat APC’S Otelemaba Amachree who scored 46, 898 votes.
Thereafter, Governor Wike led thousands of Rivers people on a victory March across the streets of Port Harcourt, which terminated at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Wike commended Rivers people for standing up in defence of democracy and the interest of the State. He praised Rivers people for their courage “in the face of murderous invading security agencies who killed, maimed and stole ballot boxes in their bid to subvert the will of the people.”
Governor Wike said that the ultimate sacrifice made by the Rivers people brutally murdered by the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel was for the defence of the collective interest of the state, “because they refused to be conquered by the invaders.”
He said: “What has happened today will not happen in 2019. Now they have told us, they will see that we will also be prepared. This will not happen again.
“I have told the security agencies, you come and collect security money from me and use it against Rivers people. Enough is enough. They will now be depending on NDDC for their funding. Let me see where it will take take them to”.
The governor added: “Rivers people must work as brothers and sisters and defend our interests. We don’t have Police, we don’t army, but we have God. And so, we must put our house in order and be our own police, be our own Army. “We have no confidence in the Army, we have no confidence in the police, we have no confidence in the DSS. They have shown that there is no democracy in Nigeria.”
The governor added that politicians like the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who were not on ground, would never win elections in Rivers State. He noted that those who attempted to re-colonise Rivers State by donating monies from their state governments had been shamed by the vigilance of the people.
He said: “Wherever they are, shame unto them. Whether they are in Abuja, Plateau, Bauchi, Benue or Kano, shame unto them. Shame to the Governor of Plateau, Shame to the Governor of Bauchi , Shame to the Governor of Benue. They should bury their heads in shame.”
