Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that criminals are mounting pressure on his government to lift the curfew he imposed on the state.
The governor had imposed a curfew on all the 23 local government areas of the state to prevent further attacks on security formations and other related crimes in the state.
Speaking in Port Harcourt at the 60th birthday celebration of Senator Barry Mpigi, who represents Rivers South-East Senatorial District at the Senate, Wike said the restriction would remain despite sponsored criticisms against it.
The governor said he was aware of the traffic difficulties experienced by residents of the state especially in Port Harcourt and Obio-Akpor while trying to beat the 8:30pm curfew.
But he said: “It is better to suffer inconveniences and be alive. Some criminals, who have not been succeeding in kidnapping, have been sending people to go on radio to say the governor should be reasonable, and that they don’t want the curfew again.
“Criminals are the ones, who are doing that. I will not agree. Life and property is important to me. All those criminals, who have been sending people to go on radio that they are suffering, and that we should extend the curfew to 12am, to enable them kidnap people from 7pm, will not succeed. Don’t waste your time.”
Wike explained that the curfew was activated following security advice by law enforcement agencies to prevent further attacks on security formations.
He asked residents to make sacrifices, suffer the inconveniences to achieve a better tomorrow, adding: “I want all of us to be alive to take care of our children.”
The governor also disclosed that approval had been given for a Nigeria Law School campus to be sited in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
He said: “We have gotten approval to have a Law School in Port Harcourt. It is not about me, it is the legacy you leave. This was a Law School that was given to Port Harcourt, but the previous government rejected it and it was sent to Yenagoa.
“Today, we have that approval that there must be a Law School in Port Harcourt. And I can assure you in six months-time, our Law School will be the best Law School in Nigeria.”
He further explained that a Federal High Court in Abuja awarded $1.1bn to the state in a lawsuit against the Federal Government.
He said money was an entitlement of Rivers based on the subsisting decision of the Supreme Court on the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts.
Wike thanked God for his grace and benevolence toward Senator Mpigi and his family.
The governor, who recalled that his relationship with Senator Mpigi dated back to when they were both council chairmen, urged the senator to remain a steadfast Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart.
