Rivers government insists on detaining and prosecuting a federal lawmaker for oil theft.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

The Rivers State government has declared that no amount of blackmail will prevent it from prosecuting Hon. Chinyere Igwe, the lawmaker for Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II, whose filling station was shut down for allegedly illegal oil bunkering.

Chief Emeka Woke, the governor of Rivers State’s chief of staff, reaffirmed that the state government would detain and prosecute the owner of any filling station that sold petroleum products sourced from artisanal refiners while speaking at the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), Permanent Voters Card (PVC) sensitization and mobilization rally at Mogho in Gokana.

Woke argued that the state government is required by the constitution to take strong action against anyone who is causing harm to the Nigerian economy.

“Anyone whose business premises are used for illicit oil bunkering will have those premises closed. We will deal with you according to the law if you allow your hotel to house criminals intent on destabilizing the state, the speaker warned.

Igwe was advised to report himself to security services for questioning, but he was also warned not to mislead the people into believing he was being politically victimized.

Woke further attacked Igwe for disparaging Governor Nyesom Wike, saying that if it weren’t for the governor’s kindness, the federal legislator would have been politically extinct.

“I heard Chinyere Igwe yesterday discussing unthankfulness. a man who had left the political scene. This is the man who left the House of Representatives after serving just one term and returned home. He was driven from Port Harcourt by Rotimi Amaechi, the outgoing governor of Rivers State, and fled to Abuja. Even though, he ran for office on the ACN platform and utterly failed.

“We invited him back along with the individuals he claimed to be speaking for at this time once we had mobilized GDI and had strengthened the party (Peoples Democratic Party). None of them were GDI’s founding members. Even though he lost the primary, His Excellency the governor provided him a platform, first as a Commissioner and later to the National Assembly. And today he is discussing ungratefulness,” he said.

The Gokana residents who attended the GDI demonstration in large numbers were praised by the chief of staff for their unwavering loyalty and support to the Wike administration.