Our Rivers, Our People, Our Govt & Our Rights ~ By Annkio Briggs

“The security, well-being, development, rights and love for my beloved Rivers State and her people is the ONLY driving force for my position.” — Annkio Briggs

“Without any ambiguity and without apologies the presentation below is my statement, argument and position on the debate of Governor Wike signing the Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Corps Law No. 8 2018.” — Annkio Briggs

“No state has been targeted, lied against, envied and constantly set upon by any Federal Government in the history of Nigeria since the creation of states especially between 2015 as my beloved Rivers state, but this too will pass.” — Annkio Briggs.

“Lagos state has the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) and

Kano State has Kano State Hisbah Corps (KSHC) why the controversy about Rivers State having Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Corps (RSNWC)” — Annkio Briggs.

I have read almost anything l can find on the River State Neighbourhood  Watch Corps  Law No. 8 of 2018, and l have listened to the arguments for and against the bill.

I have weighed it in my reasoning as a rights campaigner and as a stake holder of my state (Rivers state) and as a citizen who desires and expects to live in a secure state.

Below are my points.

1. “Gov. Wike said he would sign the bill passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly to give effect to the legal existence of the Neighbourhood Watch.
2. “Gov. Wike declared that the State Neighbourhood Watch would support security agencies with intelligence and information to prevent criminality in the state.
3. “Gov. Wike said contrary to the falsehood being spread by the leaders of Rivers APC, the state government was not planning to arm youths to cause mayhem.
4. “Gov. Wike said that the State government would not be intimidated by the propaganda and falsehood on the Neighbourhood Watch.
5. “Gov. Wike said security of lives revolves around information and intelligence. Members of the Neighbourhood watch will gather information and pass same to security agencies for the protection of lives and property.”
6. “Gov. Wike said he will sign the Neighbourhood Watch Bill All these lies been spread will not stop us. The Neighbourhood Watch is for the good of our people. We have sworn to protect our people.”
7. “Gov. Wike said All criminals will face the full weight of the law. We will fight crime and ensure that the state is safe for investors.”
8. “Gov. Wike said the state government will battle cultism and kidnapping to standstill, noting that enough is enough.”

During my research l came across the Rivers state chapter of the opposition political party APC position against the Neighbourhood Watch Corps law as passed by the Rivers state House of Assembly.

1. The Rivers chapter of the APC political party appealed to the Federal Government, stakeholders, church leaders, and elders of the state to stop the Governor of Rivers state from signing the bill into law.
2. The APC stated that the bill as of the 14th of March 2018 still awaiting the the governor’s signature violated the exclusivity of firearms to the Federal Government as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and that acquisition of guns, ammunitions and explosives were within the Exclusive Legislative List of the Federal government, as contained in the 1999 constitution as amended.

The APC party of Rivers State, states that after a careful examination of the dangers of the Governor’s assent to the bill as passed by the Rivers State house that the security outfit could bring calamity to the state as its establishment would amount to a declaration of war on the people of the state.

3. The APC party statement as signed by the state Chairman according to an online national newspaper, alleged that going by the bloodletting that accompanied the 2015 general elections, political killings would happen in the years ahead.

“This sinister bill that authorises the Neighbourhood Watch (Wike’s private army) to carry arms, enter, search, and arrest citizens without warrants is mischievous, diabolical, evil, wicked and unacceptable” the APC Rivers State chapter read in part.

4. The party alleged that allowing Governor Nyesom Wike to formally arm” his militia would not only pose severe threat to the security of everybody in Rivers state including those urging him on this sinister plot, but will make the audacity, evil, satanic, autocratic, many fascist regimes of Mobutu Sese Seko, Emperor Fidl Bokassa or legendary Idi Amin of Uganda to be saints and Angels of their countries.

According to the same on line newspaper of the above quotes (March 14th 2018)

Governor Nyesom Wike declared that the state Neighbourhood Watch would not bear arms but are meant to support security agencies with intelligence and information to prevent criminality in the state.

I have taken my time in the past days to carry out a research and I have read all information l can find on the subject matter. I have also reviewed news report especially on line relating to the Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps Law No 8 of 2018.

I can authoritatively say that l have combed through enough information from my research, talking to lawyers, politicians and ordinary Rivers Sate indigenes on the street to enable me take a robust position on the issue.

I am certain that l can defend my position based on the verifiable facts unearthed during my research without being biased towards any political party but for the interest of the greater good of my beloved Rivers state and her people across the 23 Local Government areas.

Governor Wike has clarified his reasons for signing the Neighbourhood Watch Safety Corps Law No 8 of 2018 into law.  His reasons are primarily that the RSNWSC will support the security agencies with information and intelligence to combat crime in the state.

That the government wishes to assist the mainstream security agencies to fight crime thereby making the state safe for investors who wish to come into Rivers state.

From 1999 till 2018 anyone who lives and works in Rivers state will admit the facts that  Rivers state has endured unimaginable level of violence in our communities, LGAs, Towns, Cities and the Capital City Port Harcourt, these criminal activities are being perpetrated through criminals, cult groups, gangs, political thuggery, armed robbery, ritual killings, military and police extra judiciary killings, human and environmental rights abuses.

The state and people of Rivers State are yet to recover from the catastrophe.

In fact efforts by the State Government to hold the perpetrators accountable for the suspected politically motivated murders of Rivers and none Rivers state indigenes in the 2015 elections and on 31st Dec 17 breaking Jan 1st 2018 have proved abortive.

The murders and beheading of our people seemingly by our people for politics or cultism is unacceptable.

Human rights abuses either by government, using the armed forces, politicians and political thugs impoverishes our people and state thereby  creating poverty, as investors stay away from our state.

The end result of all this is that there is a vicious cycle and the state is kept at a perpetual stage of insecurity that allows politicians and political parties outside of Rivers state to exploit our state to our detriment.

These external forces and negative interest groups use our own people in the name of politics and political parties that we the people of Rivers state don’t control, yet the blood of our people and our money sustains these political parties sit in Abuja and make critical  decisions without our input.

This is nothing short of greed and irresponsibility and it is unforgivable.

It is no longer acceptable that this carnage should go on in the name of cultism, politics, or elections, killing the very people who are supposed to be governed.

We the people of Rivers state must demand from ourselves politicians that have our collective interest as their primary service to us.

This is why l accept the statement made not too long by Gov. Wike that all politicians should work together for the good of our state and people.

I maintain that our state and people are bigger than any political party, person or group of people in or out of River State.

The critical expectations we the people must present to our politicians is that of their responsibility to us and not to their political party. The security and development of our state is the primary responsibility of Gov. Wike to us the people of the state and not to the political party.

If some Rivers sons and daughters across the 23 Local Government Areas feel or believe that Gov Wike and the Rivers State House of Assembly want to hoodwink millions of Rivers indigenes they are within their rights as Rivers people to raise the alarm and draw our attention to their concerns and present us with the facts and allow us to make up our minds.

But it is horrifying, reckless and unacceptable to heat up the state in the name of opposition Political Party, calling on the Federal Government, the police force to use oppressive political and armed powers, and oppress and abuse our human rights by threatening the people of Rivers state and threatening the democratic rights and processes of the people and government of Rivers state.

It is one thing to express your fears and concerns as an indigene of Rivers state. However it is offensive and oppressive to insist on what the federal government and police should do about it, especially if it threatens the rights of the people and a democratically elected government.

It is cruel and unusual to suggest that the Federal Government should use its police powers on a people seeking to peacefully curtail the crime rate in their state.

The law is clear if the people do not want a government they can vote that government out by free and fair means in an election. We demand for elections that will not spill the innocent blood of some of our children.

THE LIVES AND FUTURE OF ALL OUR CHILDREN MATTER

Gov Wike has the mandate of the people of Rivers state until 2019 to make the right decisions on our behalf for us, and to convince us that his government and party have our best interest at the heart of their governance.

Gov Wike has said that his government does not intend to arm members of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Corps, and the law of Nigeria does not permit him to arm anyone or groups. Therefore the people of Rivers state should be permitted to make up their minds if they believe him or not, let them decide.

The majority of Rivers people know that our state, people, and government, are disregarded by the Federal Government. We know so because we are amongst the 5% President Buhari refereed to earlier on in his government.

The 5% that President Buhari refereed to earlier on in his government as the fraction that should not expect anything from his government since we did not vote for him and his party, and indeed we did not.

We therefore must be worried over anything that brings the state and people in direct conflict with the Federal Government.

In my opinion the position and the force with which the opposition in Rivers state have viewed and presented the issue of the right of the Rivers State Assembly to establish a Rivers state Neighbourhood Watch Corps is not in the overall interest of the people of Rivers State.

It would appear very clearly that the opposition party just wants to heat up the polity less than 12 months to elections.

For this reason we all should be concerned over any statement or body language that gives the impression or threatens the people’s expectations for a free and fair elections.

Indeed anyone who has experienced elections in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015 in Niger Delta particularly in our beloved Rivers state will be careless to imagine that the forth coming elections of 2019 may not be mixed with the blood of baboons and dogs as was threatened in the 2015.

The members of PDP and APC in Rivers state are all Rivers sons and daughters, and have the right to solicit the electorate for our votes.

Obviously what they don’t have is the right to solicit for our lives, limbs or blood in exchange for their desire for any particular party to win Rivers state, If either party members want any of that they should use their own lives, limbs, or blood or that of their own loved ones.

Rivers state people may be hungry, unemployed, poor, and homeless that does not give any political party ruling or opposition, or any self-appointed politician to decide the blood of Rivers people should be spilled for their greedy political ambition.

Development, Education, Healthcare, Housing, Security, Democracy, Resource Ownership, Foreign Investment, and dividends of Democracy is not a favour for our Rivers state it is a right.

And we should decide who amongst our own sons and daughters on whatever political we will choose to give our political and democratic representation to, we will not allow any politician or any title holder from inside or outside of our beloved Rivers State to tell us which of our sons or daughters will represent us at any level.

There is no Rivers son or daughter that is perfect politically, but we will choose, and our choices will not be based on fraternising with strangers.

Strangers have done us no good in the past, if bad is going to be done to us let it be that it was our own mistake, rather than through our failure to say No to wrong.

The Nigeria we find ourselves in today is not the Nigeria of 2015, this is a different Nigeria, one that has taken a lot of states by lying and deceiving.

We of Rivers state must make the decision to survive in this Nigeria. Rivers State electorate must reject any  style of politics that has not favoured us In the past, and create the style of politics that will favour us in today’s Nigeria.

We should be prepared to take responsibility for the security and development of Rivers state as Rivers people. We should be determined to take responsibility and begin to build a new Rivers state, by Rivers people, for Rivers people.

The new Rivers state is not to be determined by strangers riding in with political parties we neither control nor own.

Whether it is Neighbourhood, Community, Village, Town, City, or State Watch, where ever you are living and working in Rivers state everyone ought to be a member of security watch, each and every one of us should be the pair of eyes and ears for that environment.

If you live in GRA and you see anything suspicious and you fail to report it, who do you expect to act on it for you, the man or youth that lives in Elelenwo?

Nigeria is very insecure, not only Rivers state.

We must make it our business to know when a stranger comes into our community, street, town or village, it is not unpatriotic to look out for your security, this must include asking a stranger in your community who he is and what he wants.

If you open your front door and find a stranger sitting in your living room watching TV and eating your food won’t you ask him who he is and what he is doing in your home?

The law is clear and we must work with the law.

While the argument was raging as to if Gov Wike is planning to arm Rivers youths to kill Rivers people, or he is genuinely setting in a Neighbourhood watch for The 23 LGAs as allowed by law, a state was invaded by strangers, a school attacked and according to reports 110 girls who are by any imagination virgins, were taken away by a terrorist group the Federal Government says it has defeated within a period of over 3 to 4 hours.

Any politician or parent who is not concerned over what is happening with strangers driving into a sovereign country like Nigeria and kidnapping children with such ease and impunity are not living in the real world.

Anyone who arrogantly or foolishly thinks that these types of abductions can’t happen in any part of any state or region is not living in Nigeria, and has definitely not lived in Nigeria since the 29th of May 2015. It is better to be over cautious than to be careless.

No politician should put his or her personal security above the security of Rivers State and her people because of politics.

I believe what l have read that Gov. Wike of Rivers state and his government or him as a person will not use the Neighbourhood Watch Corps to arm youths because l believe he knows that will be against the law.

Gov. Wike is working for the people of Rivers State and l believe that the Neighbourhood Watch Corps will work with the nation’s crime preventers the Nigerian Police Force because the Corp members must work with the police.

Lagos state has its own Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps established in 2016 and Kano State has the Kano State Hisbah Corps established in 2003,  Ogun state, has Ogun State Vigilante Service, and some other states.

Why is the establishment of a similar corps in Rivers state causing such uproar?

What is more important to Rivers state and her people if l may ask?  Is it about Political Party interest or the interest of the peace loving people of Rivers state?

As a daughter and stakeholder just like all  the politicians no matter the political party, l am most concerned about the security and development of Rivers State.

It is therefore disheartening that the APC of Rivers state is playing bad politics with this very critical issue of security in our state as the records show very clearly that states governed by the APC have one form of Neighbourhood Corps or Vigilante Service, Lagos, Kano, and Ogun states, etc.

Yet no mountain or argument or accusations have been made to the extent of calling on the Federal Government to use one form of force or threat to stop the Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Corps that is yet to take off.

Nigeria as a country is growing in speed at the rate of mass killings and kidnapping of girl children in other states of Nigeria, some of these states are very close to Niger Delta it will be irresponsible to push to the side the concern for the security of our state and people for the sake of political interests.

We should encourage, embrace and support any move to develop a security structure within the provisions of the laws and not sacrificed at the altar of bad politics, or politics to take Rivers state or the Niger Delta state for a party.

As a rights advocate and by choice not a politician, what l expect Rivers people of all political leanings should keep our eyes open and make sure that the Corp indeed does not step outside of its functions and to make sure that the functions ascribed to the Corps is within the 1999 constitution.

Suspecting falls short of reality!

Below are the functions of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps:

1. To gather information about crimes, crimes in progress, suspicious activities, and crime suspects among other things.
2. Making such relevant informations on crimes, crimes in progress, suspicious activities, and crime suspects available to the police and other agencies.
3. Putting structures in place to ensure that hoodlums and cult groups do not have the opportunity to operate.
4. Undertaking routine motorised patrol day and night.
5. Reducing the crime rate and ensuring that offenders are identified and made to account for their misdeeds.
6. Following up on arrest of offenders to the court and ensuring justice.
7. Timely reporting of suspicious activities and crimes in progress to the police or other security agencies and improving relationship between the police and the community as it concerns law enforcement.
8. Contributing to maintaining community peace.

It will be necessary for the Rivers state Government to make the functions of the Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Corps available especially in the interest of reassuring the people that their rights will not be abused but enhanced.

The RSNWC officers and members should be drawn from the LGA they will function in, this should be a deliberate policy to make use of the knowledge of the locality to achieve maximum grass-root intelligence gathering and community policing.

If the Rivers State government is attempting to provide security and the enabling environment through the Rivers State Neighbourhood Watch Corps, it will be welcomed as the people and government of Rivers state are disposed to inviting and expecting national and international investors and investments into the 23 Local Government Areas, the first things any investor wants to hear is the security of the environment, the disposition of the grass roots to foreigners and the government’s abilities and readiness to provide these.

Therefore setting up a very reliable and viable outfit that will be liaise with other critical state agencies in the LGAs to encourage and ensure the safety of foreign investors, their personnels and equipments are in the best interest of the state and people and the government.

The arrival of investment will better the lives of our people, provide employment, and lift the people and state out of the unacceptable level of poverty and hopelessness we are living in.

I will suggest to the opposition to the present Rivers state Government and civil society to keep an eye out and make sure that the Rivers state Government as led by Gov Wike does not step outside of their legitimate functions of this corps, is in the better interest of the people and state and not to assume the worst because of politics.

“RIVERS STATE BELONGS TO RIVERS PEOPLE OF THE 23 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS, NOT TO ANY OF THE OVER 100 POLITICAL PARTIES REGISTERED IN NIGERIA”. Annkio Briggs

I will close with this:

“It does not make sense for the expectant grandmother to say to her son, after waiting for fruit of the womb for 10 years, that even as his wife is expecting twins that none will be born as she was unable to get pregnant for 10 years.’

No doubt some known and some unknown persons will leave the content of my intellectual, debate position, and attack my person, make Statements that marline my person and intent, unfortunately for them l know them and their work, and so do Rivers people.

Annkio Briggs is an indigene of Rivers State, is a Rights and Justice advocate of 20 years, this piece is her contribution to the discussion on the RIVERS STATE NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH CORPS LAW 8. of 2018.

Her interest remains for the collective good, interest and rights of Rivers state and the Niger Delta Region in general. She lives and works in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.