2015: US express concern over likely violence in Rivers

he United States Embassy Consul General, Mr Jeffrey Hawkins, has said that the United States is concerned over reports of anticipated violent polls in Rivers State.

Hawkins, who met with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, Nyesom wike, urged all key political players to work towards peaceful elections in Rivers State, come 2015.

Wike, on his part, said he was on a mission to revive institutions of government allegedly destroyed by the current administration in the state and set democracy on the right path.

He accused the Rotimi Amaechi-led administration of deliberately destroying the legislative and judicial arms of government and denied the ordinary people access to the core dividends of democracy.

He said: “The judiciary and the legislative arms of government have been crippled by the outgoing administration in the state. One of the very first assignments that I will handle is to restore the integrity of these two arms of government and ensure effective separation of powers.”

He said the failure of the two arms of government has given the outgoing administration the free hand to “misgovern and misappropriate resources of the state at will as checks and balances have taken flight from the state”.

He said the 2015 elections will be peaceful, free and fair in Rivers State.

“The APC is raising unnecessary alarm about the alleged plan to rig the election, so that they can justify their impending loss.

“We have entered into a contract with the Rivers people in all the 23 local government areas of the state as we have directly met with the people. We are now moving from ward to ward and community to community to sell the New Rivers Vision 2015 to the people. We are sure of victory in 2015 because the people are with us. Rivers State is a traditional PDP.”

Wike noted that after the 2015 election, he would engage in aggressive development programmes that will empower majority of the citizenry, create jobs and revive the economy to accommodate a larger percentage of the population of the state.