Delta Information Commissioner Goofs Again, Justifies Killing Of Deltans In Sapele

Few weeks after the Delta State Commissioner of Information, Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, disappointed Deltans by supporting the killing and threat to spread HIV to Warri women by the military, Aniagwu, again, has goofed by calling the protest by women in Sapele politically motivated.

The women protested the additional 14 days sit-at-home order coupled with a curfew, without the state government providing any form of assistance not explaining in depth what the extension meant.

Responding to Aniagwu's unfounded claim and haste to appear before the cameras, the Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta state chapter, Barr. Sylvester Ogheneluemu Omonina, described the outburst of Aniagwu as anti-Deltan comments.

According to the APC spokesperson, unfortunately, while Deltans complied with the directives of the State Government, the Government on her part abdicated her social responsibilities of providing food palliatives for the suffering Deltans, particularly the vulnerable and those whose survival depend on their daily work. Deltans who felt unjustly treated by the State Government murmured on daily basis.

"When some Residents in Sapele area of Delta State could no longer bear the hardship foisted on them for no cause of theirs, there was spontaneous peaceful demonstration against the extension of the lockdown for another 14 days by the State Government. Instead of the grievances of the people being looked into by the State Government and security men on ground, information at our disposal says that trigger-happy security agents fired live cartridges from their guns which resulted in three people sustaining different degrees of injuries.

"As if that was not enough, the Commissioner for Information, Delta State who has been displaying and making anti-Deltans' comments recently, granted interview to Africa Independent Television (AIT) today, wherein he shamefully alleged that the spontaneous reaction of the Residents, particularly the women in Sapele, was politically motivated!

"APC, Delta sees that embarrassing statement from the Commissioner for Information as an attempt to divert attention from the State Government's ineptitude in bringing about things that benefits Deltans. If we may ask: What measure had been put in place by the government in ameliorating the suffering of Deltans? None! How did the Commissioner for Information came to that jaundiced conclusion that the spontaneous reaction of people had political connotation? Who were/are the politicians he referred to? If he had foreknowledge of the political meeting that resulted in the peaceful demonstration, what steps did he take to have the meeting called off by those politicians?

While lambasting the insensitiveness of the Okowa-led government, Omonina, said: "To our mind, the allegation of the Commissioner for Information is a figment of the Government imagination! It is preposterous of him to make such blanket allegations! This is unbecoming of public servant who is a mouthpiece of a government.

"In Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Rivers and some neighbouring States, their Governors had provided succour to their citizens to wit, face mask, hand sanitizers and eatables. In Delta, the Government is waiting for federal response/food palliatives, which it intend to use to play politics. What an insensitive Government!

"While we urge Deltans to remain law abiding and avoid actions capable of compounding the fragile heath situations in Delta State, occasioned by Covid-19, we challenge the State Government to do what is expected of her in providing succour to suffering Deltans.

"We call on the State Commissioner of Police to thoroughly investigate those involved in the unwholesome shooting of peace loving Residents of Sapele and bring the perpetrators to book.

"Also, we want to use this opportunity to reiterate our call for the sack of the Commissioner for Information. He had caused Deltans enough embarrassment and pains with his unguarded utterances".