Efio-Ita Nyok|25 July 2016|7:40AM
Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Cross River State, Mr. Odey Ochicha has cautioned the state Governor Senator Ben Ayade against intimidation and harassment of members of the opposition APC in the state.
In a statement issued in Calabar by his media aid, Mr. Inyali Peter, Ochicha said that the recent report credited to Barr. Joe Abang, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General (AG) of the state that the government has declared one of Ayade's fierce social media critic Mr. Ifere Paul wanted was not acceptable and warned that the APC will no longer tolerate further assault on her members.
The APC stalwart who was also a governorship candidate of the party in 2015 general elections in the state added that Ayade must stop acting like a demigod or dictator and allow democratic norms to thrive in the state.
He described the action of the AG as a total show of shame, illegal and an abuse of the office he is occupying adding that he has no such right to declare any member of public wanted.
While calling on party members not to panic, he said that Ayade should face governance and stop portraying himself like an emperor in an uncivilized empire.
Ochicha maintained that the way Ayade has handled opposition in the state is a test on their collective intelligence and so the party will not hesitate to petition the federal government in case of further assault again.
According to him, “Ayade should stop seeing himself like an emperor in an empire where he has absolute powers to determine what people say, do or don't”.
“What the AG did was completely illegal and show of shame because only the police has such right to declare anybody who's under criminal investigation wanted. He has showed that he is ignorance of the law which means he doesn't even have respect for the exalted office he is occupying”.
Continuing he quarrelled that, “Soon after Barr. Vena Ikem and Paul Adah left PDP, Vena was declared wanted while Paul's house was attacked by hoodlums. Democracy allow for right to freedom of expression and association. How come is only the APC members that have been declared wanted?”.
He charged the state Police command and other security agencies in the state not to allow themselves be used as a tool to persecute opposition in the state.
“The Police and other security agencies should know they are not in the state to serve only the interest of the government but also the public. They must avoid being used as tool of vendetta by government”.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)