Rivers Coalition
PRESS RELEASE
We
are aware of the crisis within the ruling class in Rivers State and their
counterpart at Abuja and the assaults of the said crisis on our collective
sensibilities. Also, we are aware of a plan by some Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs) to hold protest in Port Harcourt in the name of Niger Delta Civil
Society Organizations in support of the embattled ruling class member against
his erstwhile colleagues and co-conspirators in Abuja. The said protest has
been scheduled to hold on Tuesday, July 30, 2013.
The
planned protest is part of their efforts towards defending a ruling class
member as he faces his fellow oppressors in his on-going political conflict
with his fellow ruling class members. It is important to clarify that the
political actors fighting among themselves, no matter the camp they belong,
have never had the interest of the toiling masses at heart. They oppress the
masses whenever they deem it profitable for their class interest and fight
themselves when their fractional interest clashes.
Furthermore,
our living experience indicates that, for long, our citizens’ organizations
have been susceptible to the vices of this rampaging ruling class; the
political landscape is littered with many of these organizations that have been
raped by these Vagabonds-in-Power (VIPs). Indeed, not a few of these citizens’
organizations, have been driven to destructive armed insurgencies by members of
the Nigerian ruling class. The Nigerian ruling class now compete among
themselves using fascist stomp troopers and armed insurgents. We must not place
our citizens’ organizations anywhere near the vice-grip of this mindless,
all-parasitic ruling class.
Now
then, we strongly feel that this is the time, the critical moment for any
activist or citizens’ organization that is worth its onions to route for the
toiling masses, to start speaking for the embattled masses, to start
interrogating the very society that can throw up such ignoble charlatans and
miscreants that we are now witnessing.
This
is not the time to defend one oppressor against the other, rather this is the
critical period to energize our mobilization efforts to encourage the poor
masses to break the absolute fetter, on life and living, that this suffocating social
system called Nigeria, has become. Our volunteered time and energy should be in
the service of Nigerian toiling masses not in defending any member of the
ruling class, whether within or outside the ruling party.
Aso
Rock and Brick House are fractions of a rotten whole. They have both
participated, in an ongoing basis, in oppressing and dehumanizing the masses.
For instance, during the petrol price uprising, they all worked together, not
only to justify the oppressive policy, but actually worked together to
frustrate our efforts to challenge the evil policy. The governor used labour to
frustrate the protest in Port Harcourt, while the presidency unleashed fascistic
stomp troopers on peaceful protesters on Port Harcourt streets.
The
Amaechi’s administration presided over the demolition of communities, such as
Njemanze, Abonnema wharf road and Zor-sogho in khana LGA of Rivers State, while
the presidency has presided over the demolition of poor people’s houses and
communities in Abuja. To show how heartless the Nigerian ruling class is, the
ACN governor of Lagos State visited the same barbarism on a section of poor
masses of Lagos State.
Recently,
the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chairman and some of the
members of the Rivers State University of Science & Technology (UST)
chapter of the union have been subjected to all manner of intimidations,
victimization, police brutalities and all forms of degrading treatments, just
because they tried to resist the imposition of a Vice Chancellor on the school
without following due process. ASUU chairman, Dr Felix Igwe, was even kidnapped
at gun point and later dumped along Airport road, Igwuruta just because they
gathered to hold a meeting of the Union. Governor Amaechi has stifled academic
freedom in UST, Port Harcourt. Presently, ASUU at the national level is on
strike because of the insensitivities of the Presidency. No doubt our ruling
class abhors education.
Evidently,
the choice before the Nigerian masses is not located within one fraction or the
other of the Nigerian ruling class both within and outside the ruling
party. Currently, the choice before them
is between barbarism, represented by the ruling class and social progress,
which can only be achieved when the present suffocating system, foisted on us
by the decadent ruling class is liquidated.
Let’s support the masses, let’s work with them on this historical task.
Sequel
to all of the above, we therefore dissociate ourselves and our organizations
from the planned protest which has been planned in support of certain elements
and fractions of the ruling class in rivers state. Our allegiance and
partisanship is for the assaulted, violated and oppressed Nigerian toiling masses.
By
this Press Statement, we have this day reframed the question being posed! The
Abuja seat of Power (Aso Rock) and Port Harcourt Seat of Power (Brick House)
are not the only options before us. We have decided to route for the toiling masses
in their effort to extricate themselves from the matrix of social decay which an
avaricious ruling class has enmeshed them in.
Solidarity
to the toiling masses of Rivers State!
Solidarity
to the toiling masses of Nigeria!
Down
with the Reign of Impunity and Corruption!
Down
with the Social System that threw-up Vagabonds in Power (VIPs)!
Down
with the Social System that transforms Citizens’ Organizations into Fascist Stomp
Troopers and Destructive Armed Insurgents!
Signed:
Styvn
Obodoekwe, United Action for Democracy (UAD) Rivers State
Vivian
Bellonwu, Social Action
Emen
Okon, Kebetkache
Constance
Meju, CEMEDEC
Orike
Didi, Socialist Workers’ Movement
Godwin
Frank, Chikoko Movement
Kentebe
Ebiaridor, Oil Watch Africa
Livingstone
Wechie, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Rivers State branch
Sotonye
George, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Rivers State branch
Karl
Chinedu Uchegbu, Civil Liberties
Organisation, CLO, South South zone.
Michael
Gbarale, Centre for Environment, Human Rights and Development, CEHRD
Solomon
Clifford Christopher, Students Environmental Assembly, SEA, UST.
Issued, this July 28, 2013
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