By Lanre Oloyede
Chieftain of ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Jackson Lekan-Ojo, has warned security agencies in Rivers State to be neutral and professional in handling the ongoing political crisis to avoid escalating the situation.
Chief Lekan-Ojo’s warning came on the heel of the allegation of assassination attempt by one of the factional speakers of the State house of Assembly, Rt Hon. Edison Ehie.
Recall that Hon. Ehie had alleged that a group of fully armed thugs and Police officers on Sunday allegedly attacked his private residence in Port Harcourt with an intention to assassinate him.
It was gathered that the thugs were vehemently repelled in a gun battle by the official security details attached to Speaker.
Reacting to the allegation of the assassination attempt on the Speaker, the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the command has commence investigation into the issue.
Disu said the investigation so far on the allegation has not revealed any assassination attempt and pleaded with the Speaker or anybody that has evidence of attack to report to him immediately for onward investigation and action.
But while weighing-in on the matter, Chief Lekan-Ojo charged the Rivers State police command to be neutral in the investigation, warning that the situation might escallate if not properly handled.
The Security expert further called on other security agencies like the Department of State Security, DSS and National Intelligence Agency, NIA,
to quickly wade into the matter and investigate thoroughly.
Chief Lekan-Ojo also enjoined other stakeholders Including religious and traditional leaders to intervene in order to save the State from an impending chaos.
“We have two houses of assembly headed by two speakers in Rivers, and now there is a court injunction that has stopped Rt. Hon. Martins Chike Amaewhule to stop parading himself as speaker and same injunction has said the two houses of assembly shouldn’t parade themselves as house of assembly in Rivers. As it stands today, Rivers State has no legislative arm,” he said.
The APC chieftain called on the former governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike to play the role of a father by calling the two factions to a round table for a peace talk.
He said: “I urge former governor Nyesom Wike to see to the resolution of this crisis. He has the capacity to call both houses of assembly to order. Wike has the capacity to resolve this imbroglio and I don’t know why he hasn’t decide to do it that way.”
The APC chieftain urged the governor of Rivers State, Similaye Fubara not to be distracted by the infighting but to remain focused on discharging good governance.
“At the same time, I want to call on governor Sim Fubara, he should not allow this situation to affect him or his governance. It is unnecessary. Gov Fubara should see himself as the leader of all,” Chief Lekan-Ojo stressed.
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