TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Fred Kpakol, has expressed worries at the incessant gang clashes in Ogoni communities, particularly the cases in B/Dere in Gokana Local Government Area of the State.
Kpakol, while speaking at the case in B/Dere, where three bodies were exhumed from an illegal oil bunkering site recently, said it is worrisome at the time when youths in other places are working tirelessly to impact positively on their communities, youths of Bera are putting their energies in criminal activities like illegal oil bunkering and wanton killing.
He expressed: “I will tell you I feel very pained for this gruesome murder, for the deaths and the confusion in the (B/Dere) community. What has really happened is as a result of lust and desperate desires by miscreants and bad boys who want to control the resources of Rivers State government, resources of Federal Government by way of engaging themselves into oil bunkering.
“We have every legal and legitimate means to bring their activities under check, but, to no avail. They (miscreants) kill each other in that order. So, they have done massive killing. We have reported at different points to the police”, he stated.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, however, commended Governor Nyesom Wike and security agencies for prompt response to cases of distress in the state.
He also called on politicians and security agencies to work together in bringing lasting peace to B/Dere community.
Kpakol expressed: “I want to commend the state governor because action was quickly taken as chief security officer in the state. I also want to commend the Commissioner of Police, Anti-Cultism Unit for the action they have taken.
“I some few days ago, they (police) exhumed the bodies of three of these boys and they are more. I want to even commend the efforts of the community, youths, everybody in the community, for coming as one to fight this war.
“But, I also want to appeal to everybody that it is not time to grandstand over what has happened. Let us not use the medium or the exhumation of these bodies to malign people you perceive as your enemies, or people you are afraid of politically, just on the basis of scoring a cheap political point. We will resist that”, he warned.