The Peoples Democratic Party-led government in Bayelsa is currently playing the blame game on the violence sparked off in Amasoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

The Bayelsa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday denied the allegation by the Bayelsa State Government that it was behind Tuesday’s protest at Niger Delta University (NDU), Amasoma.

The Bayelsa government had in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mr Fidelis Soriwei, Special Adviser on Media to Gov Dickson, accused the opposition leaders in the state of sponsoring the violent protest where no fewer than five died

The Government in another statement by Mr Daniel Alabra, Special Adviser to Gov Dickson on Public Affairs said the reaction of the Bayelsa State chapter of APC to the NDU crisis is a vindication of Governor Dickson’s position that the APC in Bayelsa is a party of criminals.

According to Alabra statement signed by APC chieftain, Doifie Ola Buokoribo had claimed that the hoodlums, who attempted to disarm the police of their arms and died in the process were APC executive members of the party in the state.

Policemen deployed to reopen that gates of NDU on Tuesday clashed with protesters who had shut the gates to protest the sack of 1,700 staff of the university.

In a statement on Wednesday in Yenagoa, APC Publicity Secretary, Mr Doifie Buokoribo, dismissed the allegation; saying that the party was also affected as the victims were APC members.

APC commiserated with families of the slain protester and thee injured and wondered why the PDP govt chose lethal force in dealing with the dispute with workers of the state-owned university.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the slain and injured Amassoma community members.

“Some of those killed include Jacob Eyigha; Paul Orus; Godnolie Gagede; Joseph Kpoun, and Douglas Moses, all APC members.

“Eyigha was Assistant Legislative Officer in Ward 9, Orus was Ex-officio Member of the party’s executive committee in Ward 2, Gagede was Financial Secretary in Ward 2, Kpoun was Ex-officio Member in Ward 2, Amasoma.

“Also Moses was APC chairman in Ward 2. They were elected at the recent APC ward congresses in the state.

“They were targeted in a way that shows a complete lack of emotion. Their blood is on someone’s hands. And their blood would speak some Tuesday, for sure.

“The ugly sequence of events that preceded that black Tuesday in Amassoma tells only a part of the story of the governance deficit in Bayelsa State under Governor Dickson.

“Dickson failed to exercise mature leadership through sincere dialogue with the protesting residents, but choosing, instead, to invite the police and army to visit death and destruction on the people and turned to blame the APC,” the APC stated.

APC called for the immediate and an independent inquiry into the killing to fish out the perpetrators for prosecution and withdrawal of the soldiers from Amassoma to allow the people return to the deserted community,

It appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief materials to the community to reduce their suffering.

“We call for an independent investigation of the killings in Amassoma to bring the perpetrators to justice. As ever, Dickson has pointed accusing fingers at “opposition political leaders”.

“But as the world can see, the whole tragic episode in Amassoma typifies the pointless cruelty, lack of tact, and inordinate display of raw power that is the hallmark of Dickson’s government.

“APC believes mature leadership is what Bayelsa State requires at this trying moment, not the hackneyed search for those to take the blame for the government’s failure,” Buokoribo said.

Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa, Mr Don Anwunah had said on Tuesday that the protesters had destroyed eight police vans and exchanged gunfire with the police.

Anwunah said that the protestors had attacked the Police Division in desperate search for arms saying that timely reinforcement from the Police Command saved the situation from degenerating further.

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