Senior citizens in Rivers State have accused Governor Nyesom Wike and his predecessor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation of being the “source of great pains to the state” over insecurity and setbacks allegedly being instigated by their lingering political conflict.

Following a meeting over the weekend in Port Harcourt, elites and elders under the Rivers Elders and Leaders Council resolved to confront estranged Wike and Amaechi to realise the collateral damage to the state by their lack of communion.

Dr. Kalada Ireunabere, who drew attention of the elders forum to the matter said: “The trouble and wave of fear in Rivers at the moment is not of upland-riverine dichotomy. It is caused by the fight between two brothers from same stock, one at the federal, the other holding sway in the state.

“Because they are not working together, youths gang up under their cover to cut off people’s heads, displace communities and when they are not doing these, they are robbing and kidnapping people.

“Piracy is driving people away. We now go to Lagos to buy trawler fish because the criminals have driven them away from our waters. The two men and their allies have brought much pain to Rivers. We must bring both Wike and Amaechi together to stop the menace.”

Convener of the meeting, Chief Albert Horsfall, said, “The state was born before some of these people were born and people sacrificed their lives to give birth to Rivers. The state functioned, made progress before they cut their leadership teeth.

“We can’t have some young combatants coming to sabotage all the efforts of Rivers heroes past. We can’t live with peoples’ heads being cut off so the world can say Rivers is unsafe.”

•Sourced from a Vanguard report