A planned rally in defence of democracy organised by Niger Delta Civil Society Coalition (NDCSC) was yesterday aborted by armed policemen who barricaded the Liberation Stadium and Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt. The NDCSC chairman, Anyakwee Nsirimovu, described the decision of the police to abort the rally as a sad development and a violation of one of the major tenets of democracy which is the freedom of expression. As early 7.00 a.m. yesterday, scores of armed policemen and armoured personnel carriers were deployed in the Liberation Stadium at Elekahia and Isaac Boro Park to prevent the participants in the rally from assembling at both venues. Some irate youths who were opposed to the rally stormed the Port Harcourt International Airport to protest against Prof. Wole Soyinka, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olisa Agbakoba, Femi Falana and other activists who were billed to address the rally. Having prevented the activists from assembling, some of the policemen then followed the organisers of the rally to an event centre at the Stadium Road in Port Harcourt and also barricaded the place. Nsirimovu told journalists that they had organised the rally to warn all the warring parties in the state of the dire consequences of their inordinate action that has resulted in the flagrant abuse of the rule of law and acts of impunity. “It was planned to be a peaceful rally, we had slated the Liberation Stadium to be our meeting venue. On getting there this morning, the Nigeria Police, under the leadership of Joseph Mbu, took over the stadium and didn’t allow us to get into the stadium to do what we wanted to do,” he said. “It’s in that regard that we relocated to this place to inform and share with all of you that this is a sad day for democracy, not just in Rivers State, but in Nigeria, a day when freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association were jettisoned with the presence of law enforcement officers, who are meant to protect us and allow us to participate freely in a democracy.” Reverend David Ugolor, on his part, warned that if the police did not remain neutral in unfolding political disputes, the country’s democracy would be compromised. Ugolor declared that it was wrong for anybody to be victimised because of their political ambitions. (Guardian)
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 07:46:57 +0000
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