* Not aware of Court order barring PDP Ward Congresses in Rivers
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command has assured of its preparedness for the nationwide hunger protest, slated for the 1st to 10th of August.
CP Olatunji Disu in an answer to questions from Journalists on the scheduled nationwide protests, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, assured that the Police are not ignorant of the situation in the country, ensure that it will do all it takes to maintain peace and order in the State.
CP Disu said that the officers and men of the command have been trained and retrained on handling civil protest situations, assuring that his men know exactly what to do.
On the issue of the Court order barring the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from holding their Ward Congress, CP Disu stated that the Police are obligated by law to obey court orders and as of the time of briefing Journalists, he can only confirm the court order that permits the congress to hold.
CP Disu further laments the numerous Court judgments but does not fail to add that the Police will do everything in their power to obey the verdicts of the court.
However, Our Correspondent gathered that despite a Court order which barred the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from holding the ward congress, the party went ahead to conduct the congress in Rivers State.
Also, the leader of the Group of 60 (G-60) opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Hon Ikeagwuonu Michael Ugochinyere has said that the ward congresses allegedly conducted last Saturday, in Rivers State is of no effect, null and void.
Hon Ugochinyere, who chairs the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), also cautioned the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to avoid replicating the memories of the infamous CP Joseph Mbu, who turned the State to a theatre of the absurd in 2013 and 2014, in a bid to help Nyesom Wike achieve his ambition.
The lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in the National Assembly under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the remarks in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, on Sunday.