A group known as the New Initiative for Credible Leadership (NILC) has cautioned Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State against going ahead with his alleged plan to sponsor a protest in Port Harcourt, the state capital, this coming Thursday.
The group said the planned protest was aimed at instigating Nigerians against President Muhammadu Buhari.
The group was reacting to announcement by facilitators of the protest tagged “Occupy Nigeria Season 2”, which they revealed was being staged against federal government’s inability to solve the perennial fuel scarcity in the country.
A statement from NILC signed by Rev Steven Onwu, dismissed calls for the protest saying it was apparent that the mass action was being sponsored by Wike because President Buhari consistently maintained his neutrality in the state’s rerun poll.
“This thing between the Minister of Transport and immediate past governor, Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Nyesom Wike has reached its limit. It is the reason Wike is sponsoring the so called ‘Occupy Nigeria Season 2’ to both embarrass and sabotage the Federal Government.
“If this is Wike’s strategy of getting at President Buhari for not taking sides in the re-run elections then it is very sad. Mr President displayed the maturity expected of a statesman by neither siding with Amaechi nor Wike so why should the governor now be trying to burn the state simply to spite the FG”, it noted.
The NILC urged all those invited for the protest to ask critical questions before making themselves available as expendable cannon fodder for someone’s political vendetta.
“Our advice to student bodies, NGOs, CSOs, CBOs and any other person or group that has been contacted for this paid protest is that they should read between the lines and understand what it is they are asking for. The economic situation in the land and the associated fuel crisis are already being dealt with from what is being reported in the media so what else is the protest meant to achieve?” the statement queried.
It further expressed concern for the safety of the city’s residents as it pointed out that violence leading to loss of life had been unleashed on the people under less volatile situations in the past.
