The Action Peoples Party (APP) has said that the alleged silence of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Department of State Services (DSS), over the deadly bomb blast by some protesters in Rivers State was becoming a stain on the image of the President Bola Tinubu-led government.
The opposition party said this while reacting to the detonation of an explosive device during a protest march in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, last Tuesday, by supporters of a gladiator in the Rivers political crisis, culminating in the death of one person and others seriously injured.
APP, at a press briefing by Comrade Achilike A, said the deafening silence of the security agencies, which are expected to take action against the masterminds and perpetrators of the violent incident, was casting aspersions on not just them alone but the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government for being insensitive to the security of lives and property of people of the State.
It said though Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the Chief Security Officer of the State, he lacks powers to control the relevant security agencies as only President Tinubu, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, can direct the heads of the agencies to bring those behind the dastardly act to book.
“We as an opposition party are worried about the continued silence of the NSA, IGP, CP and DSS since Tuesday when protesters believed to be supporters of the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, allegedly detonated an explosive device in Rivers State, killing one person and injuring several others.
“Ordinarily, we would have kept quiet in order not to meddle into the affairs of what looks like clash of interest of the main opposition PDP and its siamese twin, the APC. But as one of the vibrant opposition in the country, we are living up to our responsibility of holding the government and the two bigger political parties to account”.
“Therefore, we make bold to say that the prolonged silence of these security agencies, apart from emboldening the supposed Wike supporters to further foment trouble in Rivers, their action or rather inaction is a dent on the image of the Tinubu government because it shows careless attitude to security and welfare of the people of Nigeria from any state of the federation.
“We therefore call on President Tinubu to rise up to the letters and spirit of the oath he took to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which made security and welfare of the people the primary responsibility of government.
“The earlier the President orders his appointed heads of security agencies to secure the people of Rivers state and bring the masterminders and perpetrators of the ugly incidence in Rivers, the better for his image and perception as the leader who can protect their lives and spirit,” the APP stated.