The deployment of troops in Port Harcourt, the troubled capital city of Rivers State, may go beyond the initial six-month projection, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Luka Yusuf, disclosed yesterday.
The Army chief said the decision to withdraw the troops would be taken in conjunction with the governor of the state, Sir Celestine Omehia.
This is coming on the heels of the state government�s condemnation of the call by some Ijaw leaders for a state of emergency to be imposed on the state.
Soldiers, who were deployed in the city following weeks of shootings and gun battles between suspected cult groups, are not guaranteed to leave after the initial period of six months, although Omehia said at the weekend that the soldiers would be in the city for that period.
Yusuf made the announcement while briefing the Minister of Defence, Alhaji Ahmed Yayale who was on a working visit of the Army, Navy and Airforce.
He said if the governor, as the chief security officer, �feels that the security situation has improved he will ask for the pulling out of the solders to the barracks�.
He said the Army would not flood troops to Port Harcourt so as not to create the impression of a state of emergency there.
Yusuf lamented that even though the police were saddled with the responsibility of internal security, �the Army is now taking a very big chunk of it even without being supported with additional logistics�.
The army chief informed that the Army was now fully involved in internal security as part of their assistance to civil authority.
He disclosed that most of the soldiers in Operation Restore Hope were being moved to support the ongoing operation in Port Harcourt �until peace returns�.
Most of the serviceable boats are being moved from Calabar to Port Harcourt to support the operation to block the creeks to prevent the militants from infiltrating the state capital, he disclosed, revealing that more operational vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carrier (APCS) were being moved to Port Harcourt because �it will take time to restore hope and return things to normalcy in the region�.
Yusuf, however, charged the political class to do their own beat insisting some of the crisis had political undertone.
Reacting to the call by some Ijaw Leaders especially Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Albert Horsfall, and Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas for the declaration of state of emergency and cancellation of the April 2007 elections in the state, the Rivers State Government said the people of the state �are surprised and embarrassed that persons who call themselves elders would make such calls to cause disharmony and promote ethnic friction at this time without any justification�.
Clark, Chairman of Ijaw National Congress (INC), had yesterday called for the imposition of a state of emergency.
Clark, who spoke to newsmen in Lagos, said it was high time President Umaru Yar�Adua declared a state of emergency owing to the escalating war between the rival cult gangs.
He promised to lead a delegation of Ijaw leaders to Abuja to meet with the President on the issue.
According to him, �the state of emergency should at the first instance last for six months because as things are now, the state government has lost full control of the situation.
�So rather than the situation degenerating, the federal government should just wield the big stick by immediately declaring a state of emergency in Rivers.�
Clark, who was in company with other Ijaw leaders, said the state of emergency, when declared should be headed by a General or an Admiral equivalent so that he could be in full control of the security situation in Rivers.
He said that at the end of the emergency rule, a fresh election should be conducted in the state �because the current Governor, Celestine Omehia and his arch rival Rotimi Amechi, are all boys of the former governor, who would not be able to assert their authority in the state�.
But responding through Barrister Emma Okah, the Commissioner for Information, the Rivers State Government said it was interesting to note that �the recent disturbances in Port Harcourt which is part of the broad Niger Delta problems is certainly not up to what has happened in some other Niger Delta States and yet nobody including these �wise men� called for a state of emergency. It is for this reason that we view this call as senseless, irresponsible, self serving and politically motivated�.
�It would have made sense if the call from these elders was directed at our derailed children to enable them live responsibly and appreciate the virtue that life does not begin and end with violence. We expect a legacy of peace and honour and not shame from our elders. This is because, in all situations, constructive engagement and dialogue remains the best option in resolving problems. Genuine elders over the world seek unity and reconciliation and not anarchy.
�The Government of Rivers State hereby restates its irreducible commitment to continue to pursue her policies to rehabilitate and reform the derailed youths, deliver good governance, enthrone economic prosperity, reduce poverty incidence, develop the state and put smiles on the faces of the people of Rivers State to the glory of God.
�For the avoidance of doubts, we call on these elders to leave Rivers State and Dr Peter Odili alone as we believe that they can live normal lives without the disrespect they have been inflicting on him.
�Finally, let us use this opportunity to say that no amount of intimidation by persons who are no longer of this age and whose stock in trade is the pursuit of �pull him down� syndrome will reduce the focus of His Excellency, Sir Celestine Omehia, to lift Rivers State to the next level of development,� he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Fidelia Akuabata Njeze has condemned in strong terms the militancy in the Niger Delta regretting that it has turned the genuine course to milking cow.
In a chat with newsmen yesterday, she assured that the Federal Government was sincere about finding lasting solution to the crisis especially in the development of the area hence the called on the youths in the region to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue.
Njeze said no meaningful achievement would go on without peace in the area stressing that the present crisis was already affecting the economy.
�The Niger Delta issue has become a national issue and nobody is happy including those living in the area. We all agree that the area is underdeveloped, yes they live below human level but you cannot have development in trouble waters. No ship can sail smoothly on trouble waters. Even though there is clear evidence of neglect but it is clear from Mr. President�s position that this administration is sincere in tackling the problems. One way to solve the problem is through dialogue and the government is already demonstrating its willingness to embrace that.
�I am appealing not only as one serving in government but also as a mother and as has been disclosed during the retreat at the weekend, that the Niger Delta indigenes have respect for mothers, they should lay down their arms and embrace dialogue. The President said he took an oath that he should be judged based on his performance and even made this one of his seven-point agenda. We all swore to uphold the peace of this country and promised equal development I think this government should be given a chance to live to its expectation�, she said.
The Minister also commended the efforts made by all stakeholders especially the military and the police in bringing peace to the area and assured that Mr. President and the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, were ready to serve alongside all committed Nigerians.
Aside the issue of troops in Port Harcourt, however, the army chief also disclosed that a new Armed Force structure would take off in December, as the Nigerian army would now have only four divisions.
He lamented that the Nigerian Army equipment holding was very low due to lack o f maintenance and appealed that efforts should be intensified to procure more military vehicles for the army, as a situation where civilian vehicles are used to move troops to operating areas did not augur well for the image of the army.
In his remark, the Minister of Defence, Yayale, noted that the army had challenges in three main areas, training, equipment and welfare and assured that adequate attention would be paid in those areas.
Aug212007