state yesterday degenerated into a violent protest against the
governor leading to a major security breach following invasion of the
government house by irate youths.
As early as 8.30 am yesterday throngs of students and youths from all
walks of life had gathered at the Governor Rochas Okorocha Campaign
office along Okigwe road.
They had been gathered by the Executive Assistant to the Governor on
Students Affairs, one Godstime Samuel, for a solidarity rally in
support of the re-election of the governor under a strange platform
called the National Union of Imo State Students (NUISS).
The students who turned out in their thousands were drawn 80 each from
each of the 27 council areas in the state. They students indeed staged
a massive rally and roadshow for the governor and reconvened at the
freedom square where they were addressed by the Commissioner for
Lands, Chief Uche Nwosu and later the governor himself who promised
them N4million.
At the end of the rally, the Executive Assistant, Godstime Samuel
presented the sum of N1.5million to be shared among over 10,000 young
men.
It was however not clear the reasons given by Samuel; whether
N1.5million was all that was provided by the governor or whether he
put the rest of the money to other uses, but the students would not
buy any of the story.
And in the confusion that followed, Samuel disappeared from the scene.
Angry and unable to locate their contact man for explanations and
completion of the money, anger led to frustration and a massive
student rampage erupted.
Now chanting solidarity songs in favour of the PDP and its
governorship candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, the youths marched into
government breached the main gate and a near stampede ensued in
government with government house workers scampering for safety.
The action of the students who were virtually unchallenged saw
government house workers fleeing to, as far as the Governor's lodge
for safety.
Finding no one to address their grievances, the students vandalised
and destroyed anything that stood in their way.
The governor's posters and billboards were torn to shreds, Street
lampholders, APC flags along the government house drive-in were
destroyed and traffic was grounded to a halt.
The students were only restrained when a detachment of combat-ready
policemen were drafted to the scene. The police had to shoot several
cannisters of teargas to dislodge the defiant young men.
The incident forced workers at commercial banks along the bank road
area near government house to close down and flee their offices for
fear of vandalised ion and teargas.
--247NigeriaNews
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