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A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, has condemned the alleged assassination attempt on the APC governorship candidate in the state, Arc Tonye Cole, by unknown gunmen.
Princewill, who thanked God for delivering Cole from the hands of suspected assassins, noted that instead of being bowed or subdued by what happened to him, the gubernatorial candidate is “rather emboldened by his faith and purpose to win and deliver Rivers State from misrule and bad governance.”
He called on security agencies in the state to ensure that the perpetrators of such heinous act are apprehended and brought to book while reminding the international community, particularly the United Kingdom, United States and the European Union, that previous attempts at halting violence did not work because they turned a blind eye to what had been happening in the country and allowed lawless people to get away with their actions without appropriate punishment.
“I want to use this opportunity to first call on the security agencies that are responsible for keeping the peace, to set an example that such acts will never go unpunished. It is the absence of consequence that provides the climate for this type of lawlessness. While Castro said ‘it is unlawful to be lawful in a lawless society’, Tonye maintains that ‘an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind’.
“Many of us were not with APC immediately after 2015, when being a member of APC was an invitation to write your will. We won’t accept that. We expect this set of security chiefs to mirror their successes elsewhere. The Niger Delta is the wealth of the nation and Rivers State is the treasure base. It must be.
“Let me also remind the international community, particularly the US, UK and EU ambassadors, that previous attempts at halting violence did not work because none of your governments had any teeth. Known candidates engaged in known violence and nothing came out of it. No travel bans, no targeted sanctions and no withdrawal of support. I was there, every step of the way.
“It’s that impotence that provides a cover for no consequence. The result is a recurring cycle of violence. If we want to stop getting what we are getting, you have to stop doing what you’ve been doing. Friends should tell each other the truth,” he stressed.
While appreciating the efforts of the international community and the security agencies in peace keeping, Princewill urged them to do more, adding that “it is clearly not enough in Rivers State, and the cost of failure is too high. It’s measured in people’s lives. Condolences, shuttle diplomacy and speeches are simply not going to be enough.”
