The Federal Government, Tuesday, vowed to punish accordingly the perpetrators of violence in the bye-election conducted last weekend in Rivers state.
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bar. Solomon Dalung, who blamed the violence on politicians, who refused to play the game according to the rules, described the crisis as a display of primitive political culture.
The minister attributed the death of one corps member: Samuel Okonta from Delta State to the inordinate ambition of politicians, making it clear that “under the administration of change, this impunity will never be celebrated.”
Dalung was speaking at a condolence visit by the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmmud Yakubu to the Headquaters of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) over the death of one Corps member at the poll, in Abuja.
Corps member Okonta Samuel, who until his demise served at GCSS Ukpeliede, was shot dead by some unknown gunmen in Ahoada West Local Government Area. Consequently, the NYSC, yesterday, spat fire over the death of Samuel and others corps members, who sustained various degree of injury, describing the murder as barbaric.
Dalung said; “I want to use this opportunity to appeal to Nigerian politicians that in playing the game, officials for the match and spectators are not players, I observed that each time we play this our political game, our tentackles and anger is extended to wrong person. “Politician aspired to hold public office because they want to develop Nigeria, in doing this they are talking of protecting the life of every Nigerians. So, it is very bad and terribly that we cannot conduct ordinary election without conflict and crisis, just to protect our interest and innocent people will lose their lives, if they kill all Nigerian who do we rule over? Are they going to rule animals? “At this point I am calling on all major actors in the crisis in Rivers State to respect human life, they should remember that there is one person calls God. They should stop ending people’s life because of their tall ambition.”
