'Why I go increase appointment of special assistants to 100,000'

Rivers State Govnor Nyesom Wike say im go increase di special assistants im recently appoint to 100,000. E tok did one wen e meet wit tori pipo from major television stations for Nigeria for Goment House Port Harcourt on some developments wey don happen in di last few days. Just yesterday, im be increase dem to 50,000 after im bin don appoint 28,000 special assistants for political units. On 12 october, 2022, di governor bin appoint 319 ward liaison officers and 40 local goment area liaison officers. Di reason for dis appointments Wike tok na becos im wan get information about how im goment dey do from di grassroots so dis liaison officers to help am get those information so don fit plan and execute well and make necessary adjustments. E add say na part of di empowerment program im bin promise becos of high unemployment rate wey dey di kontri, besides di fact say all of dem na political appointees and indigenes of Rivers State. E say dem no be civil servants and im goment go do employment before di tenure expire. 'I dare anibodi to do political rally for any public school compound without goment approval' Govnor Wike also call on political parties to abide by di Executive Order 21 wey dem sign to law wey go protect public school facilities, so pipo no go destroy am sake of political rallies. E say dis dey come from di last experience of political activities for 2019 wey jaguda boys go vandalise many public school premises. “Dem go campaign for public schools, destroy di infrastructure, dorti di environment and den goment go come replace am. If you wan use di same centre, you reapply to goment. If you wan use stadium or our public schools, you go apply and goment go say deposit security money so dat if you destroy infrastructure, it you dorti di environment, we go use dat money replace am and clean up di environment.” Dis na why e sign Executive Order 21. E say political parties dey free to use oda facilities for di local goment areas but dis na way to take protect di schools, especially as schools still dey in session and e no want make political activities go disturb dem and e go also regulate di school environment. "Make di parties apply first. I go use my party PDP do example. We don say any school principal or headmaster/headmistress wey allow dis (use of dia premises), we go dismiss dat pesin. We give authority to chairmen of local goments to stop any rally without approval.” Wike emphasize say even INEC don write to dem for di schools dem wan use for di election and dem don approve am. "If INEC wey be goment agency for write for approval, political parties sef go also apply for approval before dem use di school facilities. Apply first and see weda you no go get approval and pay di money na security fee, but some pipo say dem no go gree. I dare anybodi to go any public school for rally without goment approval." Wetin be dis Executive Order 21? Political parties for Rivers State, Southern Nigeria don criticise di Executive Order 21 wey di State Governor Nyesom Wike put and sign into law say e no dey good for di political process. Dis na becos di time don reach for political parties and candidates wey dey contest different positions for di 2023 general elections to begin do campaigns according to di INEC timetable. Di Executive Order 21 wey Governor Wike sign say use of public school buildings, structures and premises for political rallies dey lawful only if dem comply with di following conditions: Obtain permission from di Commissioner of Education not less than two weeks before di date of di rally. Pay a nonrefundable security fee of N5million naira only. For State broadcast on Friday 7 October, 2022, Govnor Wike explain say di order dey in place as part of goment responsibility to protect and secure public school facilities from damage and destruction as e dey happen wen parties use am for political rallies. E add say e go also make goment ensure say dem no interrupt learning activities for State schools becos of political rallies. Di govnor follow warn private pipo say make dem no allow dia business premises, hotels, cafeteria, relaxation lounge or private home to dey used for unlawful political gatherings and oda criminal acts by party thugs, cultist or criminal elements odawise di goment go bring down or seal up such premises without further notice. ‘Dis Executive Order 21 no dey Democratic’ Political parties and candidates wey dey contest di 2023 general elections for Rivers state don react to dis Executive Order 21 wey di Rivers State Goment sign to law say e no dey good for di electoral process for di State. Di Govnorship candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Leyii Kwane say Executive Order 21 na tactics by di present Goment to monopolise political powers and also control political activities and space for di State and dem no go gree for di law. "Dat law na very bad law wey no good for di political process for di State. Me I don dey tok with oda political parties, I dey discuss with our lawyers and oda civil society groups for di State say we no gree becos dis law mean say nobody go fit compete with am and democracy na about competition wey gi bring out di best so dis kain law no good. So if na say I go enter street protest against dis law like I bin do for 2013 wen I bin dey di State Assembly, Rivers pipo go follow me becos dis one na to silence di voice of di pipo. We no dey under military goment. Dis no be democracy again." Also, National Rescue Movement NRM do so condem di Executive Order 21 as di State Chairman of di Party, Ibiyekaribo Peters di State Governor wan use im power as Governor to intimidate and shut up oda political parties to di benefit of im political party. E say dis Executive Order 21 go against Section 91(1) and (4) of di Electoral Act 2022. "I call on well meaning Nigerians, members of IPAD, di International Foundation of Electoral System and civil society groups to rise up and resist dis impunity and intimidation as e no get any place for a true democracy. We also call on President Buhari not to allow Governor Wike to use federal instrument like di Nigerian Police or oda law enforcement agencies ti intimidate or harass citizens of di kontri. Di Campaign Organisation of di All Progressives Congress APC Governorship candidate, Tonye Cole don also describe di Executive Order 21 as deliberate plan by di Governor to suppress opposition in a multiparty democracy instead of allowing citizens to exercise dia freedom of choice as e dey for di constitution.