TELL Magazine

Magistrate and high courts sacked last year during #endsars riots in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State are still sitting in Port Harcourt more than 30 kilometres away from their jurisdiction.

The courts were sent packing after hoodlums taking advantage of the #endsars riots attacked police stations, courts and other government stations in the local government area. More than six soldiers and several policemen were killed in the attacks.

A combined force of the military band police later on launched a cordon and search for the hoodlums after the Rivers State Government imposed a 23-hour curfew in the area that lasted for more than six months before it was relaxed. Human rights activists claim that many youths resident in the area were killed in the joint military and police operations, which also paralised economic and social activities in the area.

But Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said the courts would soon return to Oyigbo after the rebuilding of the courts. The Governor disclosed this on Wednesday during flag-off of the 19.4 kilometres Oyigbo – Okoloma road.

Wike also used the occasion to warn governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Rivers State from visiting the national headquarters to lobby members of the national working committee, NWC.

The governor said such aspirants would have himself to blame. “If I see your legs in NWC, you’ll tell me what you went there to do. You’ll tell me what NWC has got to do with state.”

He also warned senators and members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State against forming a political bloc in Abuja “because the Bloc here is bigger than your bloc.”

He said the he fought hard to bring about change in the national leadership of the party because of his faith in the party and would not allow anyone anywhere to scuttle the democratic principles he fought for.

He urged the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, to take advantage of his emergence as the National Chairman of the party to bring about positive change in the party, otherwise he would raise an alarm against him in the media.

Ayu promised to return the party to winning ways. “This party will promote internal democracy. When we go wrong, shout. Also shout when we are doing the right thing and we will strive to do more of the right things.

He praised Wike for developing not just the state capital but also other parts of Rivers State. “Governance should not concentrate in inner-city areas and forget the people in the suburbs. They too deserve good governance,” Ayu said.

The Oyigbo-Okoloma road reconstruction was coming long after the people of the area had accused the Wike administration of abandoning the people and residents of Oyigbo. The road, which is a federal road also links Abia and Akwa Ibom States.

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