Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, while addressing the End SARS protestors, who had laid siege at the state’s Government House, Port Harcourt, for more than three hours on Tuesday, said Nigerian youths have refused to set their priorities right. He said even though the End SARS protest is heating up, young people should focus on real issues including demanding a reform of the Nigerian system.
Wike, who banned #ENDSARS protests in the state on Monday night made a dramatic U-turn from his earlier position on the ongoing #ENDSARS protest and joined the protesters, to condemn the appointment of Lauretta Onochie as a Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “I never supported us to be here. I took an oath to protect the lives and property of people of the state. The blood of Rivers of people matters to me.
“In Nigeria, we must choose our priority. Nobody is talking. Let me tell you, just now we have heard that Mr. President has appointed his media aide (Lauretta Onochie) as an INEC Commissioner.
“You appoint your own media aide as a Commissioner in INEC and you are saying that you want INEC to be independent. How will that INEC be independent and nobody is talking about it. Nobody is protesting about it,
“No governor in this country can say they have challenged SARS the way we have done. When there was so much kidnapping in this state, I raised an alarm to the Federal Government.
“I am the only governor that has come out to start end SARS protest. No other state. We have lost so many people in this state to SARS. No state supported us. SARS has killed our people a lot.
“So, as you are protesting for Police reforms also protest that Mr. President cannot bring his own aide to be a National Commissioner in INEC. That is what is supposed to be done.“That is rigging. They have started rigging ahead of 2023 and nobody is saying anything,” Wike stressed
Lauretta Onochie is the Special Assistant to President Buhari on Social Media.Her nomination was announced among three others during plenary at the Nigerian Senate.
