by ‘Jola Sotubo
The crisis in Rivers State, caused by the battle for supremacy between the state governor, Rotimi Amaechi and the state Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, took a dramatic turn yesterday as the labour organizations in the state have laid down a deadline for the removal or redeployment of the Commissioner of Police.
The Rivers State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have issued an ultimatum to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Abubakar, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) to redeploy Mbu or face an indefinite strike.
The organizations, while announcing the 21-day ultimatum, also reportedly demanded that the IGP and the police commissioner tender their unreserved apologies for using teargas to chase away 13,000 newly-employed teachers who were at the Liberation Stadium on Wednesday to collect their posting letters.
The organised labour also described the actions and inactions of Mbu as invitation to anarchy in Rivers State, insisting that the police commissioner must be redeployed forthwith to avert imminent industrial disharmony in Rivers State.
The Rivers Chairman of the NLC, Chief Chris Oruge, and his counterpart of the TUC, Chika Onuegbu, at a joint news conference yesterday at the NLC Secretariat, D-Line, Port Harcourt, declared that the issues raised by the organised labour must be addressed expeditiously, declaring that they were not afraid of blackmail.
Amaechi and Mbu had been at loggerheads since the police commissioner’s redeployment from the Oyo State Command in February, with the NGF chairman declaring that the only condition for peace in the state would be the redeployment of Mbu who was accused of taking sides and described as a politician.
The Senate and the House of Representatives, in separate resolutions, before they proceeded on recess, also called for the immediate redeployment of the Rivers police commissioner, but the IGP later stated that Mbu was a professional police officer and would remain in Rivers State.
On the allegation of being bribed by Amaechi to discredit Mbu and embark on strike, the NLC chairman stated that people had the right to say whatever they liked, but they must crosscheck the facts.
I think Rotimi Amaechi is trying to turn Rivers state to second borno state of boko haram. Am pitying the masses who will still suffer the concequenses.can someone tell nigerians if $ when libration stadium has turn to a posting ground for workers? Even NYSC dont even go there for there call up letters! This is just funny!