Rivers: Wife of ‘abducted’ Andoni LG Assembly leader alleges foul play

Saturday, March 7, 2020 10:49 am

Dandison Talick, the abducted Leader of Andoni Local Government Legislative Assembly.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Controversy is brewing over the abduction of Dandison Talick, the leader of the Legislative Assembly of Andoni Local Government Council in Rivers State.

Talick was abducted in his home in the Reclamation area Port Harcourt on Thursday, March 6 at about 9 am.

But Roselyn, the wife of the kidnapped Councilor is crying foul, even as she called on the Rivers state government and the Police authorities to rescue her husband who, according to her, was abducted in a gestapo manner.

Narrating how her husband was abducted, Roselyn said the gunmen in Police and Army uniform, numbering over 10 invaded their residence at about 9 am and whisked away her husband and a male aide.

She alleged that the gunmen beat up her husband and his aide thoroughly before taking them away.

She claimed that some security personnel were among those that whisked her husband away, allegedly that abduction was carried out on the orders of the Chairman of council, Paul Lawrence Paul.

“Governor Nyesom Wike should intervene and rescue my husband because when the men were beating him they were saying ‘so you refused to sign the budget abi, you are always refusing what the chairman tells you to do and don’t sign papers abi? Today you must sign all those papers’.

‘’Up until now, no one has contacted me, I am waiting for a call and begging on the Governor to intervene because my husband is fighting for the people,’’ she said on Friday.

When contacted, the Rivers state police command says it is still investigating the matter and neither Andoni Local Government, Chairman Lawrence Paul had reacted to allegation of Mrs Talick.

The Deputy Leader of Andoni Local Government Legislative Assembly, Amini Awajiroso Moses, had in a press statement confirmed that the Leader of Council’s Legislative Assembly was abducted by unknown gunmen.

He said, “It was confirmed that the abductors of the Leader of the Assembly came in a Police hilux and a jeep. Hours gone already and no police station, DSS office, or the Nigerian army has confirmed his arrest.

Paul Lawrence Paul: Chairman, Andoni Local Government

“At the point of his abduction, Rt. Hon. Talick’s wife overheard the gunmen accusing the Rt. Hon. of constantly challenging and locking horns with Hon. Paul Lawrence Paul. The gunmen threatened to deal with him mercilessly, after which he was forcefully taken into their already steaming police Hilux vehicle and they drove off”.

“Andoni Local Government Legislative Assembly strongly condemned in totality and consider the act as barbaric and undemocratic.”

“As members of Andoni Legislative Assembly, we are calling on the federal and the state governments to take immediate steps to ensure the unconditional release of Rt. Dandison Talick, bring to book those who are directly or indirectly involved in this shameful act.”

It will be recalled that in December 10, 2019, the Chairman of the Council, was allegedly impeached by lawmakers in the Local Government Council on allegations of incompetence, misappropriation of funds and increasing insecurity in the area.

Talick, who issued a press statement on the issue had explained then that eight out of 11 lawmakers sat and voted for the impeachment.

He added that grounds of impeachment include the fact that the Chairman has ignored calls by the Legislative Assembly to tackle the increasing spate of sea piracy, kidnapping and other forms of crime and criminality in the area.

He added that the people of Andoni were not safe anymore due to increase in crime, adding that the chairman deliberately refused to work with security agencies in the area to curb the menace.

“The people of Andoni are afraid to come home because of crime and criminality which have taken over the place.

”We have called the chairman several times to appear before the House, but he has ignored us.

“Even me as the Leader of the House, I have made several calls on him, he won’t pick my calls. He carries himself like a demi-god.

“From all indications, it is obvious that the chairman is not competent enough to pilot the affairs of the local government.

”The Vice Chairman should step in to take care of the council. We believe in her ability and someone who will listen to the people.

“The Chairman has not accounted for money approved for projects such as the sand filling of Ajakaja community, electrification Eletombi community.

“He kept telling us he is paying certain people five million naira every month and we don’t know what that payment is for.

“He should be accountable to Andoni people and as legislators, it is our duty to make him accountable to the people.

“We have directed the Clerk Of the Andoni Legislative Assembly to write to the Office of the Accountant General not to allow the embattled chairman do any financial transactions on behalf of the council,” Mr Dandison said.

The Assembly is to send their resolution to the Rivers State House of Assembly for consideration and ratification.

But there was no report that the purported impeachment of the has been was tabled before the Rivers State Assembly.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi Iwagi Ibani is also from the crises-ridden Andoni LGA

Other prominent political leaders from the Council include Uche Secondus, the national chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Tele Ikuru,the immediate past deputy governor of the State.

Ends

Photo Captions:

1 and 2) Dandison Talick, the abducted Leader of Andoni Local Government Legislative Assembly.

3) Paul Lawrence Paul, Chairman, Andoni Local Government Council allegedly impeached on December 10,2020