…Says Rivers govt acted in accordance with the law
The member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor, has condemned the attempt by those he called ‘enemies of Ogoni people’ to use the demolished Prodest Hotel, in Eleme, owned by an Ogoni indigene to paint the people of Ogoni in bad light through “unguarded utterances, subversive media reports against the lawful action of the Rivers State Government”.
The federal lawmaker said this became imperative to let those he called ‘pocket lawyers’ and ‘surrogates of political detractors’ of the state government, he said were hiding under the cover of commenting on Coronavirus pandemic as an issue of public concern, and the concomitant issues including the demolition of Prodest Hotel on account of flouting the Executive Order 6 of the State Governor on COVID-19, “to know that their antics are already common knowledge among Ogoni leaders and have already failed before starting their mischief”.
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Hon. Dekor said the state government only acted within the ambit of the law in the demolition of the hotel, stressing that it was wrong and inciting to localise the issue as similar and corresponding punishments had been and is being meted out to defaulters of the state government directives on COVID-19 elsewhere depending on the weight of the offence no matter their place of origin.
According to him, “It’s more provocative and unholy when the person of the Executive Governor of the state, who is doing everything humanly possible to contain the spread of the pandemic in the state, is insulted or presented with indignation.”
The federal lawmaker, however, noted that there were legal and constitutional options open to an aggrieved person(s) to seek redress if not satisfied with any action of the state government or any other entity rather than recourse to incitement of the innocent members of the public and, or the promotion of ill-feelings and disaffection against the person of the Executive Governor of the State among the innocent and law abiding Ogoni people.
On the protesting Ogoni women who were claimed to have taken to the streets recently against the demolition of Prodest Hotel, Hon. Dekor said, “It benumbs all sensibilities and is doubtful that Ogoni women, widely respected for their wisdom and patience and who did not exhibit any form of violence even in the face of killings by the defunct military regimes, could display such brazen childishness over a personal issue bordering on Act of lawlessness already before the court.”
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He dismissed the protest as a ‘script’ acted by propagandists and enemies of the state government whose instigators could easily be traced.
The federal lawmaker then warned Ogoni people to be wary of those who might want to use them for personal ends.
He also appealed to all Ogonis to heed the directives of the state and federal governments on COVID-19 prevention, and feel free to submit themselves for testing when necessary as the first step for safeguarding their lives.
Hon. Dekor continued, “Rather than vilify the State government for making sacrifices to save the lives of our people, we should commend the Executive Governor, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike for his foresight and courage to tackle the pandemic head-on, no matter the cost in materials terms.”
