Port Harcourt – The Rivers Restoration Movement (RRM) has called for an end to persistent attacks on the judiciary and its judges in response to judgments perceived to favour particular interest groups.
The group also urged opposition political interest groups to refrain from making unguarded statements that could exacerbate the political crises in Rivers.
RRM’s Director-General, Johnson Georgewill, made the appeal in a statement released on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
He expressed the group’s concern over derogatory remarks made by a prominent member of the House of Representatives against former governor Nyesom Wike.
“The insults and attacks on Wike, the judiciary and certain Federal Government agency in relation to the political crises in Rivers must cease.
“Rivers people are particularly troubled as to why a National Assembly member (name withheld), who neither hails from Rivers nor serves its people, continues to insult our leaders and government institutions.
“RRM condemns the blackmail and insult directed at Wike, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the judiciary and the Nigerian Police.”
Johnson said that Rivers residents had grown weary of reckless conduct and unnecessary escalation of tensions by politicians seeking undue prominence in the state’s political landscape.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to take firm action against interest groups aiming to destabilise the nation’s democracy through inflammatory rhetoric.
“RRM is calling on the people of Rivers to safeguard their state from opportunistic politicians whose primary goal is to exploit the political crises while further impoverishing our people.
“We appeal to Wike to remain undeterred by these baseless attacks which are designed to distract him from promoting democracy and development in Rivers.
“RRM and its affiliate groups in the 23 local government areas of Rivers will soon mobilise to the National Assembly to file a formal complaint against this politician intent on sabotaging the state,” he said.
Georgewill also described Wike as the political leader of Rivers admired by its people for his significant contributions to the state’s development.
