Okrika shootings: Amaechi blames Patience Jonathan, Wike

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has blamed wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan, for Tuesday’s attack on members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okrika, Rivers State, disrupting their campaign in Okrika Local Government area.
Amaechi spoke with journalists in Abuja after the enlarged APC leaders’ meeting at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre.
The governor also condemned the act of violence and expressed disappointment over the law enforcement agents’ failure to ensure a hitch-free campaign for the APC, despite having earlier assured the party of security and gave approval for the campaign to hold.
“Again, as usual, the wife of the president won’t allow the APC hold rally in that place (Okrika). The wife of the president and the governorship candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers again organised thugs to disrupt APC rally. As usual, the police couldn’t protect us, over 200 police men. I asked the commissioner of police and he said they have over 200 policemen there. Yet, three explosions and then they opened fire on members of APC. The Channels TV reporter, I hear, is injured, stabbed and members of APC injured.
“We had meetings with DSS (Directorate of State Security) and police and they confirmed we could go ahead. There were 200 policemen and there were over 20 to 30 DSS men who came there and they did nothing,” Amaechi said.
Asked if Rivers State is good for elections, he said, “you should ask the president, it’s not me you should be asking. If he is in Sambisa, if he is in Borno fighting the 14 local government areas, like I said, there were crises in the Niger Delta in 2007 and there were elections. So, if the 14 local governments of Borno and Adamawa and Yobe, he can’t go ahead with election, then where is he going ahead with election when the whole of Rivers State is being invaded by PDP and PDP thugs and security men are watching and doing nothing?”
He called for a stop to the harassment of APC members and supporters in Okrika, stating that it would be unpleasant if other local government areas of the state take a cue from the situation.
“Clearly, the wife of the president does not want APC to campaign in Okrika, her local government area.” Amaechi said.
The governorship campaign rally ended abruptly when suspected PDP thugs threw explosive devices at the venue and later, started shooting at the crowd at Okrika National School field, while Mr David Alabere, a leader of APC in Okrika, was addressing the rally.
The explosions and shooting forced party supporters and officials to run for safety.
The explosion damaged the roof of a building at the school.
The APC governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside, his running-mate, Mr Asita Okorie Asita, and other senior party officials, were quickly evacuated from the venue when the shooting became rampant.
Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, who was at the rally, confirmed the attack and expressed shock that some persons opened fire on the crowd.
Before the shootings, Peterside unequivocally declared that no amount of intimidation will deter APC from forming the next government in Rivers State.
“Let the PDP continue to bomb us and we will continue to spread the gospel of peace and love for our state. Our people are progressives and we are determined to provide leadership and the few unprogressives in our state will not deter us from this divine mandate to liberate our people from evil-minded people who are desperate to gain power against the will of our people.”