Gov. Nyesom Wike
Dr Dakuku Peterside, DG, NIMASA
From Dianabasi Effiong
The Federal Government has been enjoined to continually advise public office holders on the need for restraint on utterances capable of causing public disorder, hatred and disaffection among Nigerians.
The call was made on Wednesday in Port Harcourt by members of Forward Rivers Movement, a Coalition of more than 200 youth groups including non-governmental organisations in Rivers.
The group stated that members were disturbed by utterances they described as hate speech by Dr Dakuku Peterside, the Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) against Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers.
The group which made members’ views known through its Media Director, Mr Charles Jumbo, stated its membership’s feeling that the NIMASA DG pitched River State workers against the state administration by alleging in a local broadcast media that Wike hated and had no regards for the Rivers’ work force.
Dakuku had in in a news Programme aired on Rhythm FM on Tuesday alleged that the governor hated workers and had no regards for them and the people.
The NIMASA boss had also alleged in the news broadcast on the radio that Wike hated Rivers civil servants with passion to the extent that the governor could not pay their basic salaries.
Jumbo also told journalists in Port Harcourt that Dakuku’s comments in the broadcast was ” highly inciting”.
According to Jumbo, the NIMASA DG’s statement was capable of causing breakdown of law and order that can affect Rivers as treasure base of Nigeria and the nation in general.
“It is clear today everyone today that allocation from the centre has drastically crashed leading to high reduction of fund to our state. As a public officer he knows this fact but decided to ignore the truth. Great leaders face reality, not run away from it. This is why his comments is highly inciting.
“This why we support the position that the Justice Omereji-led Panel report be implemented so that they can see how clean Dakuku Peterside will,” Jumbo said.
He also stated that there should be no sacred cow on the federal government’s stand on unguarded speeches. Jumbo said that the group which met in Port Harcourt to issue a joint statement on Dakuku’s comments on Radio, included, civil society, community-based and faith-based organisations in the state.
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