…Describes
Abe’s Letter To House Speaker As Admittance Of Guilt
When
the carnage and pogrom committed by the Nigerian Army at the instance of certain
Ogoni opposition politicians against the Ogoni Communities particularly the
Yeghe people in the wake of the recent inconclusive re-run elections in Rivers
State was made public, not many believed it.
To
some people, it was a fairy tale. And to others, it was yet another political
gimmick to stigmatize certain persons and, or politicians for the purpose of
currying political sympathy.
Not
until this evil and inhumanity to man was forced to the notice and sensibility
of some responsible Nigerians and the National Assembly by concerned persons
and groups that it was considered giving a little attention.
It
only took a few video clips of the heinous actions of the so called soldiers of
the Nigerian Army against innocent children and women, including pregnant women
murdered with careless abandon as though they were fighting in a battle field
that the conscience of most Nigerians was pricked.
The
revelations showed that the incident was even grossly under-reported.
Consequently,
the National Assembly was moved to invite the Civil Liberty Organization (CLO)
that anchored the petition for an interface.
The
shocking findings have nonetheless compelled the House of Representatives to
consider organizing a public hearing on the issue.
Invited
to the public hearing are major characters in the incident, who are also the
candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the forthcoming
Legislative re-run elections in Rivers State.
They
are Messrs Magnus Abe and BarinaadaaMpigi for Rivers South-East Senatorial
District and Oyigbo-Eleme-Tai Federal Constituency respectively.
While
the controversy over who gave the unconstitutional order to the Nigerian Army
for the slaughter of the hapless Ogoni people still subsists, the House of
Representatives according to the law and in strict adherence to its oversight
function may have for the sake of justice and posterity decided to ensure that
all facts of the incident and those behind it are unmasked as a way of ensuring
an end to such inhuman senseless killing of law abiding Nigerians.
But
rather than receive and embrace such invitation with honour and joy that at
last the evil against his own kin and kith (the Ogoni people) he is opting to
represent in the National Assembly at any cost, is now on the front burner of
public discourse, Mr. Magnus Abe is angry, agitated and offended, and is
threatening fire and brimstone.
What
does that tell you? Why the barking, you may wish to ask.
Rather
than appreciate the House of Representatives for initiating the public hearing,
Magnus Abe has unwittingly taken on the Honourable Speaker of the House,
YakubuDogara, alleging all manner of evil deeds against his person and office
simply because the public hearing is expected to expose the facts andoffer the
majority of Nigerians the opportunity to hear and see how he, Magnus Abe
manipulated soldiers of the Nigerian Army with the obvious backing of his
collaborators to kill and maim his own people just to stop them from voting in
an election he was sure to lose.
‘Let
the people be lost rather than lose the election,” remains his philosophy.
Very
interesting and worthy of note, is the description of the killing of Ogoni
people as a political narrative which the National Assembly is providing the
visual images.
What
an abominable desperation.
Not
yet done, Magnus Abe said he will not attend the public hearing on the massacre
of the Ogoni people because the Public Hearing is an abuse of constitutional
powers of the National Assembly and constitutes a violation of their oath of
office to do right to all Nigerians.
To
him, to find out who and why the soldiers slaughtered his own people is to do
the wrong thing and more provocative to Mr. Abe, the Speaker who is championing
this cause happens to be his fellow APC member. He prefers that the evil be
swept under the carpet as usual.
Mr. Abe’s words:
“Painfully, hundreds of Nigerians are being murdered every day…………….with no
comment by the House or Speaker. Yet committees of the House of Representatives
at your instance are always in Rivers State to do the bidding of the PDP”.
This is the position of
the person that wants to represent the Ogoni people, the Rivers people as a
Senator in the National Assembly.
Has the PDP not been
vindicated that someone somewhere is sacrificing the precious blood of the
Ogoni men and women, youths and children on the altar of politics for political
power at all cost?
The Rivers State
Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP hereby in very strong terms
condemns the refusal of Mr. Magnus Abe and Mr. Barry Mpigito attend the House
of Representatives Public Hearing on the action of the soldiers apparently,
accepting responsibility for the army invasion of Ogonicommunities, which led
to the death of innocent Ogoni sons and daughters, including pregnant women and
some non-indigenes doing business in Bori, the traditional headquarters of
Ogoni people.
They may have been
overwhelmed by the volume of incriminating evidences against them, as may be presented
at the House of Representativespublic hearing.
The PDP is therefore
vindicated in its position that Magnus Abe and Barry Mpigi were responsible for
instigating the soldiers to kill their fellowOgoni people just to advance their
political interests.
Signed
Jerry Needam
Special adviser on media and publicity
To the Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro Felix
Obuah
No comments:
Post a Comment