Counter Protest Rocks Port Harcourt

There were counter protests in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital yesterday.

Both protests by women groups took place on the streets of Port Harcourt and the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road.

The protest in Port Harcourt was in solidarity with the emergency rule in the state. The protesters on the East-West Road demanded an end to the emergency rule under Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.

The Port Harcourt protesters, who started their procession as early as 8:00am, were dressed in white attire, came out in their hundreds to back Vice Admiral Ibas.

Chanting solidarity songs, the placard-carrying women commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his quick intervention, which they noted prevented anarchy. Their solidarity march, which kicked-off Garrison Bus Stop, terminated at the Isaac Boro Park.

They were led by a former Commissioner for Social Welfare, Mrs. Inime Aguma.

The placards bore messages supporting the Administrator and Tinubu’s intervention, which they said ended lawlessness in the state.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “State of Emergency is Constitutional”; “Governance is a serious business for only serious minded persons…”;  “No tribal war in Rivers State…” and “Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, you are God-sent”, among others.

Mrs. Aguma recounted the events that led to the declaration of emergency, without which she feared the state would have degenerated into a state of unrest.

The former commissioner said democracy was already desecrated with only two arms of government functional while the legislature was kept comatose for about two years.

Lamenting the burning down of the House of Assembly complex and called on the police to thoroughly investigate persons mentioned by a former Head of Service (HoS), Dr. George Nwaeke, as being behind the arson.

She said: “We are gathered here to thank Mr. President for declaring a state of emergency. We are at peace with it. We said this because our democratic institutions were decimated.

“The House of Assembly was kept in comatose. There is no democracy if only two arms of government are working.

“For over two years, the legislature was not working. The House of Assembly was burnt down. The rumour was not enough to burn down the House.

“The magnificent edifice built with Rivers money was demolished. We are not happy about it. There was no commission of inquiry despite the magnitude of that action.

 State of emergency is in the Constitution. George Nwaeke said to the world that some persons were responsible. We want the police to thoroughly investigate the allegations.”

It was learnt that another group of Women filed out from the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road to demand an end to the emergency rule.

The women, who protested at the popular Mbiama Market, reportedly met some resistance from the police.

Their placards read: “Widows are crying, bring back our governor”; No Sim, No Rivers State” and “We want Fubara,” among other inscripyions.

They called on the President to terminate the emergency rule and restore suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

SOURCE: NATION