By George Onah
PORT HARCOURT — Rivers State Government has accused the immediate past Governor of the state,  Sir Celestine Omehia, former Transport Minister,  Dr. Abiye Sekibo and  former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Austin Opara of instigating certain people to foment trouble in the state.
Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Magnus Abe, who briefed newsmen in Port Harcourt, yesterday, alleged that “these three men are sponsoring the 12 men that have been arrested and are being prosecuted.”
Abe said the issue relating to the arrest of the 12 men was beyond politics, explaining, “it is based on security and no responsible government will allow the interest of the state and people to be jeopardised.”

He drew attention to the fact that the state had been drawn into  serious security situations because of the actions or inactions of previous administrations, saying,  “the government cannot allow the state to drift to the same situation and has to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves.”

“Some communities in Rivers State are non-existent today because of the series of adverse security situation we had in the state. Okwurama is one of them and we have read and heard of people importing arms and ammunition for the next elections, we must stand up to secure this state.”

Abe was of the view that the state tackled 101 cult groups in the past and  the situation was peculiar to Rivers State “because no other state is known to have that number of cult groups.”

He said the people of the state expected stronger reaction from the government than it had done.
The government, he said, encourages opposition or dissenting voices but that when it relates to security matters, there was the need to act swiftly to nip in the bud any growing untoward security situation.

Those arrested and prosecuted, he said “have little electoral value”, pointing out that the past events which could not be swept under the carpet in a hurry had caused the government to act in the manner it did and that government could not go outside the law and would continue to use legal means to check the excesses of anyone breaking the law.