Police under Attack over Blockade of Rivers Government House road

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Friday, September 13th, 2013

The African Examiner online

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state, south-west Nigeria

Governors of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have taken a swipe at the police over the controversial blockade of Rivers state government house road describing it as a bad precedent capable of derailing the country’s democracy.

A statement jointly signed by eleven of the APC governors said “as governors, we view the events of September 12 in Rivers as a direct affront on constitutional order in the country.”

They also noted that the “action of the Rivers Police Command is an assault on constitutional rule and portends a descent into anarchy.”

Hear them:

“This is unfortunate and all Nigerians must rise to this challenge by calling on the Federal Government and all its agencies, including all arms of the security services, to respect the letter and spirit of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.

“In the specific case of Rivers State, provisions of Section 215(4) of the 1999 Constitution must be fully respected. This section provides that the Governor ‘may give to the Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and security of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.’

“A situation whereby the Federal Government will use powers vested in it under the constitution to bully and intimidate state governments is unacceptable and should be resisted by every democratic government.”