Politicians Setting Rivers On Fire – Ex-SSS DG

Politicians have been accused of setting Rivers
State on fire for their own selfish interests even
as the Soku oil wells dispute and the jostle for
political space between the All Progressives
Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, have been identified as the major cause of
the political crisis in the oil-rich state.
A former
Director General, State Security Service (SSS),
Chief Albert Horsfall, who made this known in a
statement issued in Port Harcourt Wednesday,
also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to
intervene to ensure that the state and the
nation are not plunged into turmoil.
He said: "As an elder statesman, not involved in
current partisan politics, my main interest is to
advise and caution against the repeat of some
of the irresponsible practices which in the past
had landed the state and even Nigeria in serious
turmoil and bloodshed; and indeed to protect
the interest and wellbeing of the ordinary people
from the repeat of similar sad events of the
recent past.
"The latest in the series of regrettable events
appeared centred on two issues, namely the
issue of Soku oil wells and the political activities
in the state, of the newly created APC and PDP
led by leaders of these parties, Governor
Chibuike Amaechi, and his group and
Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom
Wike, and his group".
On the issue of Suku oil wells, Horsfall, who also
was Chairman of defunct Oil Minerals Producing
Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC),
said while both Rivers and Bayelsa States had
laid claims to the oil wells, the matter now
seemed to be further made worse by the issue
of oil proceeds from the disputed oil wells and
as to which state ought to receive the
payments.
According to Horsfall, who is from Kalabari,
"Ordinarily, the people in these areas of the two
neighbouring states are all Ijaws and therefore
brothers. Whereas the two governments will be
more interested in allocation of the oil proceeds,
these communities are in fact rather interested
in territories and peoples.
"The communities concerned have for hundred
years been indigenes of Kalabari (in Rivers) or
Nembe (in Bayelsa) as the case may be.
Therefore, what these communities are
interested in is to return to the status quo ante
so that those who are Kalabari will remain in
Kalabari territory and those who are Nembe will
remain in Nembe territory. Pure and simple!
"I am therefore calling on President Jonathan to
intervene and either restore the position as they
were before the disputed administrative map of
2000 or to order a stay of action on both sides in
claiming and counter claiming one position or
the other until an amicable and agreeable
solution has been found to the issue by a
competent tribunal or court of law".
On the recent turn of events in the political
scene of Rivers State, Horsfall recalled that last
year he warned politicians on the implications of
encouraging ex-militants to return to the streets
by engaging them in partisan politics.
"Apparently, my advice had never been heeded
because it would appear that many of these
elements are still being encouraged by
politicians to return to their previous activities in
support of partisan politics. This, to say the
least, is regrettable. Politicians from both sides
will do well to practice politics as we understand
it, canvass for votes, mount rallies, picket
individuals and groups for their own interest", he
said.
The former number one spy chief lamented that
both parties in the political feud in the state
were not only engaging the ex-militants but also
the police in their desperation for political
control, adding that the trend was setting the
state on fire.
"To discover that as it appears now, both parties
are once again instigating and supporting
political violence and even getting the Nigerian
police allegedly involved in favour of one party
or the other is bad politics and therefore
condemnable. The latest violent event is the
one that led to the alleged shooting with rubber
bullets of a distinguished Senator of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. Surely such inimical
practices are not good politics, not in anyone's
interest and must stop immediately.
"The Nigerian police even in the days of some of
the worst tensions in this country such the one
that has led to the civil war, had usually been
seen to be impartial and professional.
"Once again, the time has come to call on the
police authorities to insulate their personnel at
all level from being involved in these alleged
acts and to maintain their usual good integrity
and impartiality especially in this matter of
partisan politics.
"Also we must advise political parties not to
encourage their members to break the law like
the recent case of the legislator who allegedly
brazenly and wilfully allowed his car to be used
to crush a serving police officer and an alleged
political opponent to death, events which led
the police to release the questionable story that
the legislator then tried to flee from justice via
the state government`s owned private jet. That
must be properly investigated and the culprits
brought speedily to book", Horsfall said.
He appealed to all sides to sheathe their swords
and allow peace to reign in Rivers State so as to
allow the ordinary folks go about their daily lives
without fear of violence and unnecessary
tension.
"I will want to conclude by saying that politics is
for politicians. Both sides are free to play politics
according to the rules. But don't bring the police
into politics and don't play politics with the
police", he cautioned.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.