The Federal Government on Tuesday in
Abuja vowed that the killers of the National Youth Service Corps member,
Samuel Okonta, would be fished out and punished. Okonta was killed
during the Rivers election rerun last Saturday.
The Minister of Youth Development, Mr.
Solomon Dalung, who blamed the violence on politicians, described the
crisis as a display of primitive political culture.
Okonta, an orphan, who was shot dead by
some unknown gunmen in Ahoada-West Local Government Area, served at
Government Community Secondary School, Ukpeliede.
Dalung spoke during a condolence visit
by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof.
Mahmmud Yakubu, to the headquarters of the NYSC.
The NYSC also threatened fire over the
death of Okonta and other corps members, who sustained various degrees
of injury, describing the murder as barbaric.
Dalung said, “Politicians aspire to hold
public office because they want to develop Nigeria. In doing this, they
are talking of protecting the lives of Nigerians. So, it is very bad
that we cannot conduct an ordinary election without conflict. In the bid
to protect our interests, innocent people will lose their lives. If
they kill all Nigerians, who do we rule over? Are they going to rule
animals?
“At this point, I am calling on all
major actors in the crisis in Rivers State to respect human life; they
should remember that there is one person called God. They should stop
ending people’s lives because of their tall ambition. Perpetrators of
the violence will not go unpunished.”
Also speaking, the Director-General of
the NYSC, Brig. Gen. Johnson Olawumi, vowed that the scheme would not
relent until the perpetrators were brought to justice.
He called on the Rivers State Government and community leaders to find the killers.
Olawumi said, “I want to use this avenue
to call on the Rivers State Government and community leaders that they
should do all things humanly possible to bring those who killed this
innocent man to book. We shall work with relevant agencies to ensure
that the perpetrators of this heinous act are fished out and made to
face the full wrath of the law.”
According to him, the NYSC has set up a
commission of inquiry to look into the killing of the corps member, who
was on special duty.
He maintained that the commission would
be the one to determine whether the Memorandum of Understanding signed
by the NYSC and INEC on the participation of corps members in elections
would be reviewed or not, insisting that INEC and security agencies had
lived up to expectation.
Earlier in his remarks, INEC chairman
said, “Our visit today is unfortunately not a happy one. We are here
with INEC commissioners on a condolence visit over the death of an NYSC
member, Samuel Okonta.
“The NYSC and INEC had been in this
happy partnership which has tremendously helped in the management of our
elections. I cannot imagine a successful conduct of an election in
Nigeria without partnering the NYSC.”
Meanwhile, the British government has expressed its disappointment over the election in Rivers State.
The election which was marred by violence left at least seven people dead while several others were injured.
The Independent National Electoral Commission office in the state was also bombed.
On Tuesday, the British High Commission
in Nigeria expressed its displeasure about the election, saying it was
‘disappointed by the reports of violence, in particular against
electoral officials in Rivers State on March 19, 2016’.
It said in a statement made available to
our correspondent that ‘United Kingdom observers in Rivers State saw
irregularities and noted the low turnout of voters at polling units
which was in part a consequence of fear of violence’.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Rivers State,
Chief Nyesom Wike, has called on INEC to declare the remaining results
of the state and National Assembly election rerun held on Saturday.
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