The Rivers State Government says it has uncovered plot to instigate students of tertiary institutions in the state to embark on protest to demand payment of bursary.
The newly appointed Commissioner of Information and Communication, Emma Okah, alleged that rival politicians had conspired with some evil-minded officers in the Nigeria Police Force to shoot at the students during the protest in a bid to give the state government a bad name and label Rivers State as unsafe.
According to a statement released by the Government House Press Unit, Emma Okah claimed that the objective of those behind the alleged plot was to continue to create crisis in the state, create fear in the mind of people, discourage the inflow of investments and give the impression that Governor Nyesom Wike was not competent.
The Information and Communications Commissioner warned students of tertiary institutions to stay away from any planned protest, stressing that the State Government will not be held responsible if any harm befell them while in the course of any such enterprise.
Meanwhile, the main opposition in the State, the All Progressives Congress has dismissed as infantile the attempt by the Commissioner for Information and Communication to link the party to an alleged plot to attack a planned protests by students of tertiary institutions in the state.
State Publicity Secretary of APC said, “It is a lame attempt to blackmail Rivers students who have been owed bursary payments since Gov. Nyesom Wike came into office.
“Instead of doing the right thing to avert students embarking on protest over their endless neglect by the Wike government, Barr. Okah appears to have resorted to base tactics to blackmail the students, police and the APC.
“The news for the Commissioner is that his attempt is dead on arrival. Gov. Wike must abandon his hatred and disdain for students and education and do the right thing. No amount of spin by his Information and Communications Commissioner will fool the students and Rivers people.
“It is unfortunate that the first outing on the perfidious road of propaganda by the new Commissioner is an unmitigated disaster and a disgrace. Actually, it appears everything in Rivers State is continuing on a free fall.
“It is possible Barr. Okah decided to start from where he once stopped as Information Commission several years ago. But he desperately needs to upgrade in all ramifications if he hopes to shore up Gov. Wike’s fledgling image in the public eye of Nigerians.
“Sadly, everything in Rivers State is on a steady decline including the management of information and communications for Rivers State Government. Reading the latest press release, Dr. Austin Tom-George will be grinning from ear to ear in view of how bad things have further gone since he abandoned Gov. Wike.
“What Emma Okah has just exhibited is nothing more than pitiable infantilism in propaganda.”