By CrossRiverWatch admin
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr. Christian Ita, has reacted quickly to allegations by the opposition Labor party that the PDP led government in Cross River State should be held responsible for the upsurge of violence in the state, particularly the kidnap of the Labor Party Candidate for Bakassi/Akpabuyo/Calabar South Federal Constituency, Hon. Dominic Aqua last night by gunmen.
The Labor Party chairman in Cross River State, Mr. Austin Ibok had earlier told CrossRiverWatch that Cross Riverians should hold the PDP led government in the state responsible for the kidnap of Mr. Aqua.
But in a telephone chat with CrossRiverWatch, Mr. Ita chided the Labor party and other opposition parties in the state for keeping silent when violence erupts in parts of the state and accusing PDP of stage managing attacks on its members and then turn around to still accuse the ruling party of perpetrating violence against the opposition.
“Why are they seeking to score cheap political point with crime? I wonder why when Gershom Bassey was attacked, there was a conspiratorial silence, they claimed that it was staged, when Gershom again was attacked in Bakassi, they claimed that it is people he did not pay that attacked him, when the Ekori incident happened and most of those killed are PDP members, they kept quiet, is it that the life of a Labor party man is more important than the life of any other Cross Riverian? We share a common humanity and we should condemn violence where ever it arises irrespective of party affiliation. We urge labor party to dissuade from seeking to score cheap political point when issues of this nature come up, rather we should collectively join hands and condemn it because this is alien to us.
“And during our campaigns, the governor has used the opportunity to preach against violence urging the youths not to allow themselves to be used for violence. Everybody knows the legacy of Imoke administration. Imoke has conducted three elections as a governor and there has never being incidents of violence. So why is it now that some people who have left the PDP to Labor party and have vowed to do everything possible to win election by hook or by crook that we are now having these incidents? So we say that they should not preempt the police. They should allow the police do their job and that attempts at scoring cheap political points with incidences like this will not work.”
Mr. Ita called on the police to expedite action and see that the abducted Labor candidate is released unhurt while adding that it will not also be out of place for the police to invite the opposition chieftains to assist the police with more information since they seem to know the persons behind these incidents.
“We are calling on the Nigeria Police to rescue Hon. Aqua and ensure the arrest of anybody behind the criminal abduction. We share a common humanity. Politics is not enough for anyone not to have that respect for the sanctity of human life. Imoke’s government has never been associated with violence and it will never be.
“We condemn in totality the upsurge in violence and we blame the violence on some politicians who have been arming the youths. Government has information that the opposition has been arming so many young people in the state and since the opposition knows so much, it probably will not be out of place for the police to invite them to go and assist them with information that they have, since they happen to know those behind the incidents.” He said.