The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed dismay over what it described as the sinister and treacherous effort of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to vent their anger and frustration on the Executive Governor of Rivers, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike by linking him to last Tuesday’s vaccine scare in the state.

It was widely rumoured that the Nigerian Army had planned to forcefully vaccinate school pupils, sending some primary and secondary school children and their parents scampering.

The PDP said: “At no time in history has the tale of an idle person being the devil’s workshop played out as presently manifested in the life and actions of the idle APC members in the state who for want of what to do, a self-imposed punishment by their leaders who have mismanaged the nation’s economy, thus turning the citizens into a rumour mill.

“Ordinarily such a goof and unwitting penchant by the APC to blackmail an innocent and comparatively, a superior being, in the person of Governor Wike in a baseless information of fake Army vaccine that cut across various states of the federation including Ondo, Imo, Abia and Anambra states etc need not be responded to, but for the singular reason to point out the level the APC has degenerated to, and their strong resolve to stop at nothing in causing unnecessary disaffection between the people and the state government so that it can waddle back its predatory regime in the state.

“The PDP considers it not only foolish but also wicked for the APC, and moreso, anybody whose sense of reasoning is so warped and by whatever name or designation accepted to be used to add salt to injury in a matter that requires our genuine concern to properly inform our people, direct and educate them by countering any misinformation like the rumoured fake army vaccination but who rather than do this, preferred to politicise the all important issue so as to curry favour and patronage from the security agencies at the expense of lives that such profitless adventure will earn them.

“More stupefying is the linking of the Police, notably, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to the whole saga when it was hardly mentioned in the reason for the Tuesday morning vaccine commotion.

“Could this be another way of holding brief for the embattled SARS and its Commander, Akin Fakorede who by their act and conducts have proved beyond every reasonable doubt that they are the military wing of the APC.

“To us, that is bad publicity by Mr. Chris Finebone, APC Rivers State Publicity Secretary and we believe the Police high command is taking note of the covert plot of the APC to quicken the eroding public confidence in Police due to the actions of SARS in Rivers State.

“We are also not less convinced that the Rivers people especially the parents of the school pupils now know better the kind of people that make up the APC legion who seem not to have any remorse for the hardship and avoidable deaths they have caused innocent Nigerians in the past two years, but still remain hell-bent on doing more harm.

“As though that is not enough, instead of sympathising with the parents who were only trying to show concern for their children and wards though based on malicious propaganda by same APC members by joining hands with the Wike administration to douse the tension, preferred to point accusing fingers at our state chief executive.

“We condemn this treacherous and wanton insensitivity of the APC in the state in its entirety and wish to call on the good people of Rivers State and residents alike, to ignore both the unfounded army vaccination rumour in schools and the rant of the APC, and send back their children to school, but at the same time exercise caution while going about their lawful businesses.

“The Nigerian Army has also done well to debunk and dismiss the rumour as not only baseless but also unfounded.”

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