Ben Dunno, Warri
Members of the civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Delta state, have commended the efforts of a combined military personnel, Policemen, Department of State Security Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in aborting the proposed hunger protest organized by members of the dissenting rights group in the state.
Specifically, they praised the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ops, Aina Adesola, for the professionalism he displayed with his crack team in dispersing the crowd that had started mobilizing to the DSC Roundabout in Effurun, where the protesters were scheduled to converge as early as 9am to commence the peaceful protest.
However, the Snr. Correspondent of Galaxy Television in Warri, Mr. Dele Fasan, was not so luck while covering the protest as he was harassed, arrested and handcuffed by the soldiers attached to 3Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Effurun who were on a show of force at the same protest venue obviously to put fear in the protesters.
Reacting, National Secretary of Human Right Protection Congress, Comrade Kelvin Ejumudo said the Civil Society Organisations, came out en-masse to ensure that the protest did not hold following the fear of its hijacked my miscreants and consequent breakdown of law and order in the state.
According to him; “We don’t want any protest at all because when it happens, people will loose their properties. People will loose their monies.”
“We are very much aware that the organizers of the protest, especially one Israel Joe were doing this for selfish reasons and we have had a one on one rift before he was being taken away by security operatives.”
“We are not prepared to condone any idea of protest in this state because at the moment, Nigeria is volatile”.
He however urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the thirty six (36) State Governors with the local government chairmen to as a matter of urgency tackle the hunger in the land.
“Nigerians don’t want food. We want employment, we want our refineries to be functional, we want to produce what we can eat.”
In his own reaction, the Chairman Board of Trustees of Citizens Rights Enhancement Initiative, Comrade Edewor Egedegbe in a chat with newsmen commended the security operatives in their approach at managing the situation in the Country.
While noting that there’s hunger in the land, Egedegbe, a cleric said,”you cannot cure hunger with further inflicting harm on innocent citizens.”
According to him,”What the Police, the military have done to ensure that there’s no breakdown of law and order is very much in order.
“For some of us, we have said the time is not ripe for any protest that can snowball not a major crisis.
“There’s a crisis of hunger already and the government are slowing their best. Although, we believe that their best is not good enough. We are asking them to do more because there’s truly hunger in the land”, he stated.
Speaking with newsmen, the Deputy Commissioner of Police,Operations, DCP Aina Adesola said he was sent to the scene by the Commissioner of Police to maintain peace.
While noting that everywhere is peaceful, DCP Adesola said citizens are going about their normal businesses without any hindrances.
“There’s no problem. Residents should come out enmass and to their different place of work. Nobody will molest them.
“The civil societies, they’ve rallied round the police and the Army. We are in ground and there’s no problem.”
Normal life had since returned to the commercial city of Warri.