Police disperse gathering of newly recruited teachers in Rivers

A gathering of 13,000 newly recruited teachers, convened by their
employer, the Rivers State Government, for collection of letters of
posting was, yesterday, dispersed by the Police in the state alleging
that it was yet another sponsored move to stage a protest against
President Goodluck Jonathan in the state.
The teachers, who were streaming into the Liberation Stadium at
Elekahia, in Port Harcourt, as early as 7.30am, yesterday, on the
orders of the state Education Ministry, were reportedly dispersed with
tear-gas canisters thrown by the policemen, who rushed in and ordered
them to leave immediately.
One of the teachers said: "Some of us got here very early, hoping to
finally collect our appointment letters and close what has been a
tedious and suspense filled recruitment exercise. But the police came
and ordered us to leave immediately, saying that our gathering had
political undertone."
The armed policemen who arrived in 11 patrol vans and two other
vehicles, took over the area, threatening to deal ruthlessly with
anyone, among the teachers who was defiant of the evacuation order
after allegedly dispersing the crowd with tear-gas canisters.
In a statement, the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers
State also claimed that "Wednesday's gathering of the 13,000 teachers
at the stadium was a ploy by Governor Rotimi Amaechi's administration
to use frustrated youths as protesters on the streets of Port Harcourt
against President Jonathan."
Reacting to the development, Richard Ofuru, Permanent Secretary of the
state Ministry of Education, which summoned the teachers, said: "It
was simply an administrative matter. We didn't think it was necessary
to inform the police.
"Remember, during the interview session in the recruitment process,
this stadium was also used because of the number of applicants
involved. We did not inform the police then and we did not have any
problem."
In his reaction, Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government, Mr.
Tony Okocha, said: "It is crass display of naked power. The government
and people of Rivers State now live under the siege of the police
force. You are aware Rivers State recently engaged 13,000 teachers for
its primary and secondary schools and they were invited to collect
their posting letters today at the stadium and Mbu Joseph deployed his
men to despise them on suspicion that they were to demonstrate against
the President."
Efforts to get the newly appointed Rivers Police Public Relations
Officer, Ahmed Muhammad, to comment on the situation were fruitless as
he did not respond to repeated phone calls.