Amaechi: It’s a crass display of naked power
By Ernest Chinwo in PortHarcourt

The police in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Wednesday used tear gas to disperse about 13,000 newly recruited primary and secondary school teachers by the Rivers State government who had gathered at the Liberation Stadium in the city, to collect their letters of deployment.

In dispersing them, the police accused them of planning to demonstrate against President Goodluck Jonathan.

The teachers had converged on the stadium early in the morning on the directives of the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Dr. Richard Ofuru, to receive their letters of posting to various schools in the state when about nine police patrol vehicles swooped on them.

Efforts by the teachers to explain their mission fell on deaf ears, as the policemen said they had “orders from above” to disperse them as they were planning to take off from the stadium to protest against the president.

One of the riot policemen, who did not want to be named, said intelligence reports had shown that the teachers were being mobilised by the Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi to protest against Jonathan.

He said the policemen had instructions to disperse the teachers and ensure that they did not proceed on the protest.

A senior police officer, who led the operation, told journalists on the condition of anonymity, that they were at the stadium based on orders from above, because it was alleged that the crowd had gathered to embark on a demonstration against the Jonathan administration.

When the tear gas was released on them, the teachers took to their heels and in the process many got injured. They however shunned requests to speak to journalists for fear of their jobs.

But reacting to the incident, Amaechi said the police action was a “crass display of naked power”, adding that the people of the state were under police siege.

A statement from the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, said: “It is amazing that the government and good people of Rivers State live under the siege of the police force.

“As you are aware, the Rivers State Government recently engaged 13,000 teachers for primary and secondary schools. They were invited to collect their posting letters today at the stadium. But alas, (the Police Commissioner) Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu deployed his men to disperse them on the suspicion that they were there to demonstrate against the president. What a shame!

“The preponderance of that population was women. Imagine women falling over one another because of the hot chase and canisters of teargas freely deployed by the police. This is barbaric. The CP ought to apply some tact even in his mission to destroy Rivers State.”

In her own reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Seminitari, said: “This is the impunity we have been talking about in Rivers State. And it is clear to Rivers people that this is the action of retrogressive forces who are totally against development, because it is the first time any government, whether state or federal, is employing 13,000 teachers at once.

“And I think that people are afraid and worried that the people will actually see that work is going on. Otherwise, tell me why people want to cut short other people’s smile.

“These are people who have been unemployed. Nigeria is crying about unemployment; the education system is in a mess, and a government employs 13,000 teachers, trains them and wants to feed them into the system, and somebody chooses to treat them this way – with levity and to tear gas the teachers and then gives a very stupid excuse, saying that the teachers were there to protest against President Jonathan.

“What is the correlation between getting their employment letters and President Jonathan? Why do people continually want to drag President Jonathan’s name into everything? Is there something they are telling Rivers people that we don’t know?
“I think that this is unacceptable and Rivers people need to fight and ensure that this reign of impunity stops.
“It is clear that CP Mbu has an agenda to destroy Rivers State and Rivers people have to ensure that does not happen.”

However, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the police was right in dispersing the teachers, insisting that Amaechi was cashing-in on the misfortune of thousands unemployed youths in the state to play politics.
The party alleged that Amaechi wanted to use the teachers to protest against Jonathan in the state.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media to the Chief Felix Obuah-led PDP, Mr. Jerry Needam, noted that the teachers had long been interviewed and appointment letters issued to them and wondered why they had to converge again on the stadium.
The statement said: “The party notes that the applicants have long been interviewed, screened and employment letters given for the long vaulted 13,000 teaching jobs by Governor Amaechi. So why are the helpless applicants being asked to gather again at the Liberation Stadium, if not for a sinister motive?

“Drawing from intelligence reports available to it, the party maintains that the only reason for the unnecessary gathering of the job hopefuls was to use them as tools to whip up sentiments against President Goodluck Jonathan in sympathy with Governor Amaechi, in the feud between them.

“Or it was in furtherance of the political crisis the governor persistently and unrepentantly fuels, which is threatening the prevailing fragile peace in the state.
“While providing employment to our numerous qualified but unemployed youths whether for teaching in schools or elsewhere is a welcome development, more so, in the light of the huge resources accruing to the state, the PDP believes the recruitment could be done without subjecting these applicants to further suffering and danger by mobilising them from all across the state to gather at the Liberation Stadium unattended to.”

The party commended the police for “rising to challenges of insecurity in the state created by Amaechi’s over-ambition.”
In its reaction to the incident, the Rivers State Police Command said it acted on intelligence reports at its disposal when it dispersed the teachers that gathered at the stadium.

The new state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmad Muhammad (DSP), said intelligence reports had revealed that the crowd intended to embark on a public protest in the state capital, adding that the state government did not get permission from the police before gathering the teachers.

Mohammed said: “Intelligence reports at our disposal revealed that those who gathered at the Liberation Stadium intended to embark on a public protest. As required, the Rivers State government is supposed to inform the police about such gathering, as you know, but they never did.

“So we sent our men to stop the gathering to avoid a breakdown of law and order. Let me use this medium to remind members of the public that the ban on public protest is still in force. Please note that we acted based on intelligence reports.”

Politics..........DIRTY GAME!

Thats bad..i feel sorry for them..

Mbu! Mbu!! Mbu!!! How many times did i call u? I can smell wike's hand in all this. Btw, wetin concern state PDP with police work? This guys will just finish Jonathan before his time(2019)

GenWOJUOLA: Mbu! Mbu!! Mbu!!! How many times did i call u? I can smell wike's hand in all this. Btw, wetin concern state PDP with police work? This guys will just finish Jonathan before his time(2019)

But Jonathan is gone already since 2012. Even assuming he could be given chance for 2015, he is already failing the interview. See his high handedness. If his hand got what he want he will do and undo at any will. This Saul WILL NOT rest until he deal with David.

Questions begging for Answers
1. When the New teachers were asked to write exam, was it in the same venue and time?
2. When they went for training was it also same time and venue for all?
If not, how can they dispatch appointment letters to 13,000 same time,day and venue
Ameachi is playing with the lives of the citizens.
Let him explain why he want to give all letters same day,time and venue. Also, in stadium not in d ministry as the case of other teachers previously engaged by d government.

[s]

clip: Questions begging for Answers
1. When the New teachers were asked to write exam, was it in the same venue and time?
2. When they went for training was it also same time and venue for all?
If not, how can they dispatch appointment letters to 13,000 same time,day and venue
Ameachi is playing with the lives of the citizens.
Let him explain why he want to give all letters same day,time and venue. Also, in stadium not in d ministry as the case of other teachers previously engaged by d government.

[/s]

Rubbish talk.
Who are u to determine the venue the govt of rivers will like to interact with his new teachers as long as its in rivers. Are u aware that a new school year has commenced which explains the urgency?
The annoucement of teachers receiving their postings was aired on the airwaves for several days and the choice of the stadium is in order considering the number involved in contrast to the ministry.
It is Ebele Jonathan and Mbu that are playing with peoples lives not Amaechi. Amaechi is engaging them in jobs.

Don't these teachers have local governemt and addresses, why the stadium for Christ sake. People should think, before talking. We know what Amaechi can do,so don't blame the police. Meanwhile, they did not hurt anyone.

Crisis going to anoda level, now affecting ordinary citizen. #smdh# with ds issue now , it seems the FG support unempoyment in Nigeria. Pls , is public protesting illegal in Nigeria ?

Demdem: [s][/s]

Rubbish talk.
Who are u to determine the venue the govt of rivers will like to interact with his new teachers as long as its in rivers. Are u aware that a new school year has commenced which explains the urgency?
The annoucement of teachers receiving their postings was aired on the airwaves for several days and the choice of the stadium is in order considering the number involved in contrast to the ministry.
It is Ebele Jonathan and Mbu that are playing with peoples lives not Amaechi. Amaechi is engaging them in jobs.

Please answer those questions
The training finished before School resumed. So he could have given them d Letter.
The students they are to teach are in School now. Will they join mid-way?

Amaechi employ 13,000 teachers, how many GEJ employ ? Kindergarten president.

Amaechi carry go.

clip: Questions begging for Answers
1. When the New teachers were asked to write exam, was it in the same venue and time?
2. When they went for training was it also same time and venue for all?
If not, how can they dispatch appointment letters to 13,000 same time,day and venue
Ameachi is playing with the lives of the citizens.
Let him explain why he want to give all letters same day,time and venue. Also, in stadium not in d ministry as the case of other teachers previously engaged by d government.

let me quickly answer your question.

1) the exams venues where at different location because the crowd was much so they didnt use one location and it was in batches.
2) also the training was in batches although they used one venue which is Rumueme model girls school by Agip flyover
there reason for congregating them on same day is as good as that which NYSC is doing during passing out parades.

Demdem: [s][/s]

Rubbish talk.
Who are u to determine the venue the govt of rivers will like to interact with his new teachers as long as its in rivers. Are u aware that a new school year has commenced which explains the urgency?
The annoucement of teachers receiving their postings was aired on the airwaves for several days and the choice of the stadium is in order considering the number involved in contrast to the ministry.
It is Ebele Jonathan and Mbu that are playing with peoples lives not Amaechi. Amaechi is engaging them in jobs.

MR. You are very wrong. You should be modernize and renovative in thinking. Where in the world in this time and age, will a responsible government who love and care for his people pull such number of helpless unemployed citizens at a common ground at the same time just becos of posting letter. It is simply antiquated and failed administrative method which will never realize any healthy objective in our modern society. Even without polics involvment, stampede is imminent and should be avoided. These applicants have LGA, Box address and Email etc, so I do not see reason for convening them at liberation stadium at once if Amechi did not have any nasty motive.

Demdem:

Ur questions are ridicolous. They are workers of rivers, u can't determine how they should relate with them.
And since they weren't given immediately after their training, what offence did the state govt commit?
And what is wrong with that? Don't govt transfer teachers mid way? Those schools u are talking of, do they have zero teachers currently?
Bottom line, u can't determine how govt interacts with her new intakes. It's strictly their business.

Who the hell are you to question the decision of the chief security officer of state who dispersed innocent citizen from a potential Boko Haram target? Imbecilic Amaechi should have used Nigerian postal services or Ministry of Education complexes in the state.

Its now clear that the forces of darkness, like the vultures of desert,are hovering about Rivers State,wt fully grown talons extending from Aso Rock! Police acted on intelligence report? Wike's/GEJ's GDI, has been touring every LGA of Rivers to campaign.Wld they disperse football spectators in the same stadium if they get "report"? Do we now need police clearance to gather in classrooms,so that they don't get "intelligence reports" to tear-gas us. Impunity! When did a well-fenced stadium become a street for protesters? Did the "intelligence report" say the teachers had placards or any weapon? Even if Amaechi wanted to politicise d employment by inviting them to the stadium,what about it? Is not his achievement? What is wrong in people gathering to celebrate,then physically sign for,& collect their Appointment Letters (after confirmation of passport photos) in a bid to avoid ghost workers menace? By their negative acts, the forces against Amaechi only advertisd his 13000 teachers employmnt feat. Anarchy looms!

That's not exactly what happened. The police said during such gatherings previously, there is always a request for police protection by whosoever is calling for such. But in this case, the police was not notified.

Secondly, these letters could be dispatched to these newly recruited teachers via other means, afterall they all know where they have been posted to.

Thirdly, it was the stadium local security men that alerted the police because they (stadium security) were not even notified of this gathering hence their attempt to protect their work environment.

This is just a cheap blackmail by the Government on the Police.

ENEONWO: Its now clear that the forces of darkness, like the vultures of desert,are hovering about Rivers State,wt fully grown talons extending from Aso Rock! Police acted on intelligence report? Wike's/GEJ's GDI, has been touring every LGA of Rivers to campaign.Wld they disperse football spectators in the same stadium if they get "report"? Do we now need police clearance to gather in classrooms,so that they don't get "intelligence reports" to tear-gas us. Impunity! When did a well-fenced stadium become a street for protesters? Did the "intelligence report" say the teachers had placards or any weapon? Even if Amaechi wanted to politicise d employment by inviting them to the stadium,what about it? Is not his achievement? What is wrong in people gathering to celebrate,then physically sign for,& collect their Appointment Letters (after confirmation of passport photos) in a bid to avoid ghost workers menace? By their negative acts, the forces against Amaechi only advertisd his 13000 teachers employmnt feat. Anarchy looms!

Well said.

Demdem:

At this stage of ur live and considering ur age, u should know that the chief security officer of the state was the one that asked them to come. U are the "nobody" questioning his decision.
Don't religious organization gather far more numbers than that in their meetings? If those ones aren't concerned about boko attacks why should these teachers be concerned?
U aren't making sense at all.

I guess dumbasses such as you who have given the goons that parade as governors in Nigeria the impetus to behavior very silly. A chief executive officer of a corporation can not at the same perform the duty of head gateman of the entity. It is only in cesspit such as Nigeria that governors are erroneously regarded as security officer of the state by blind sycophantic ninnies such as you.

The commissioner of police in each state of the federation called Nigeria is the chief security officer, olodo. At your sorry age, you are still slow and behind the intellectual curve. What a loser.

Demdem:

So till when the state govt has such resources and capacity to do such electronically, teachers shouldnt be employed to cater for the needs of these children in schools right.
Ur initiative isn't bad, the same way the decision to call all the teachers together.
The govt has done no wrong. Is like u saying govt should end all NYSC gathering till when better and more efficient ways in disseminating info are introduced.
That to me is dumb.

I ve studied your response On this thread. I think you re been paid or you don't try to see things from another angle. By using bad words, I don't think is an Ideal way of expressing your views which you 're entitled to.
NYSC
It has been on for more than a decade. Also there is always specific place to dispatch in schools or camp.
How has d state government been employing teaches before?