The Rivers State House of Assembly has condemned the abduction of the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Prof Nimi Briggs by unknown gunmen in Port Harcourt last Thursday.
The House took the position yesterday following a motion of adjournment by Hon Chidi Lloyd (Emohua).
Hon Lloyd stated that as a people who are seen to be marginalised and are backward in development, the act of kidnap was no solution to the problem, and described the act as barbaric.
According to him, the act does not represent the good image and struggle of the Niger Delta people, and urged the people of the region to fashion out more proactive ways of channeling their agitations rather than resorting to the kidnapping.
The lawmaker appealed to those responsible for the ungodly act to release Prof Briggs in the interest of the state and our democracy. He noted that the act was regrettable because the RSIEC boss has been in the vanguard of reforming the state’s electoral process in recent times.
Also speaking, Hon Onari Brown, Akuku-Toru Constituency I, while giving credence to the motion thanked Hon Lloyd for the gesture, and appealed to the kidnappers to release Prof Briggs without further delay.
Hon Onari regretted that all efforts made has not yielded any positive results, and appealed to the state government to ensure that the don is release unhurt.
He condemned the act of kidnapping in its entirety, and called on Nigerian youths, especially the people of Niger Delta, to always employ dialogue and consultation in making their grievances known.
He noted that dialogue remained the only option for settling disputes.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Rt Hon Tonye Harry, who presided while condemning the act, appealed to those responsible for the act to release Prof Briggs without further delay.
He assured Prof Briggs’ family and indeed, Rivers people of the readiness of the House to partner with the executive arm to ensure that the RSIEC boss is released in record time.
It would be recalled that Prof Briggs boss was kidnapped by unknown gunmen in his residence at Choba campus of the University of Port Harcourt after a stake holders summit organised by his commission on how to achieve a credible local government elections in the state.
In the same token, the Ijaw Youth Council says it would no longer tolerate delays on the part of the captors of Professor Nimi Briggs to release him.
In a statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday and signed by its Deputy President, Ebelo Jeremiah, the IYC said the delay in releasing Professor Briggs was unnecessary since all machinery have been put in place for the purpose.
The IYC warned that failure to comply with the release order from the council would be met with drastic action, stressing that the importance of Professor Briggs to the IYC and the Ijaw race cannot be compromised with any ungodly demand from any quarters.
While condemning the kidnapping of the professor in its entirety, the IYC reminded his captors of the fact that the man they are holding is not only an Ijaw elder statesman, but also a patron of the IYC.
The statement advised those it described as the perpetrators to consider “another means of expressing their grievances, if any” rather than holding a defenceless, harmless and law abiding citizen hostage.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, Mr Daemi Kunaiyi-Akpanah yesterday urged the abductors of Prof. Briggs to release him “immediately and unconditionally”.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Kunaiyi-Akpanah said that the abduction of Briggs by some faceless individuals was condemnable.
He, however, noted that the abduction of the former vice-chancellor of University of Port Harcourt could not have been politically motivated.
The lawmaker, who represents Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru Federal Constituency of Rivers State, appealed to Briggs’ abductors not to harm him.
Kunaiyi-Akpanah said that as a true Ijaw patriot, it would be difficult to believe that Briggs was abducted by any Ijaw person.
“I urge Briggs’ abductors to release him immediately and unconditionally,’’ he added.
He, however, commended the Rivers State Government for its efforts to secure the release of Briggs from captivity.
