Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt

THE Peoples Democratic Party said on Sunday that the people of Rivers State were not interested in the imposition of a state of emergency on the state.

The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, who said this during a telephone interview with our correspondent expressed dissatisfaction over the call by the All Progressives Congress in the state for a state of emergency.

Nwanosike explained that the pockets of violence noticed in some parts of the state during the election was not enough for the APC to call for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers.

It will be recalled that the state Deputy Chairman of the APC, Prince Peter Odike, had called on President Muhammadu Buhari to impose an emergency rule in the Rivers following the level of violence before and during the state and National Assembly rerun elections.

Odike, who cited an example of the killing of a corps member, Dumebi Okonta, during the exercise, said only an emergency rule in the state would bring peace to Rivers.

But Nwanosike said, Rivers people are not ready for a state of emergency. An emergency rule is not necessary here and will not work here. President Muhammadu Buhari is an intelligent man, who would not be pushed to take a wrong decision.

Rivers State is peaceful; it is just that a set of people are trying to cause crisis in order to call for a declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. But the security agencies are working round the clock to frustrate all these.

The thought for an emergency rule in Rivers is not only foolish, it is useless. We have states that are facing more crises in the country and nobody has called for the imposition of emergency rule. Why Rivers? Nwanosike queried.

Meanwhile, a human rights group, the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, has suggested that only massive industrialisation and employment of youths would solve the problem of politically-motivated violence and killings in the state.

The Chancellor of the group, Dr. Jackson Omenazu, expressed worry that it was becoming difficult for the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct election in the state as a result of violence.

Omenazu, who spoke with our correspondent in a telephone interview, advised the government to create an enabling environment for massive youth employment in the state.

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