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Pro SARS Rally: In Defence of Dumo Lulu Briggs

Since some patriotic Rivers people engaged in a peace walk in support of the presence of the Special Armed Robbery Squad in the state, there have been a barrage of tirades against the action of those that staged the walk. The walk which witnessd thelikes of Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs, Tonye Princewill, Asita Asita amongst others ruffled a lot of feathers within the Peoples democratic Party in the state.

I may understand the divergent views which both the pro SARS and anti SARS components may have regarding the presence of the security outfit in the state and the country  at large but what has continued to beat my imagination as a Rivers son who has the state at heart is the resort to attacking the personality of some of those involved in the walk. These attacks especially on the person of Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs has become so fiendish as it has become stupid and somewhat threatening.

One of the ways in which the anti SARS components led by the Peoples Democratic Party e rats has employed in their bid to evoke negative propaganda against Chief Dumo Lilu Briggs is to paint him as a man of double standards who donated ten thousand dollars to His Royal Majesty Ateke Tom prior to his coronation only to shun the coronation and turn around to sponsor protesters to cast aspersion on the paramount ruler of Okochiri Kingdom. As much as I may not want to be seen to be political in the whole issue surrounding the rally, I want to state unequivocally that the Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs I know will never support any person of group of persons to criminalise the person of Ateke Tom or any Rivers man who has worked hard to achieve in his or her endeavour on banners or the pages of newspapers.

I have repeatedly watched the picture that purportedly implied that a section of the protesters vilified the person of Ateke Tom by displaying that the Rivers State Governor was promoting criminals to royal stools and have discovered that there was no where Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs was seen holding any banner or was in the midst of those holding banners to demean the person of King Ateke Tom. I am forced to wonder then who are really those behind the ostensibly provocative banner and those who seem to be happy to see Dumo been linked to the banner at all cost.

I have read the reactions to the pro SARS protest and one which was allegedly made by King Ateke Tom himself and must stress that the attack on Dumo Lulu Briggs is misplaced and should be directed at those who should be held culpable of trying to twist the intelligence of Rivers people for their selfish gain. I was part of the Pro SARS walk and as we engaged on the walk that day,  there was no point in time Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs asked us or anybody present to castigate King Ateke Tom or anybody or ethnic group for that matter. He was only against the resort to violence by those calling for the scrapping of the Special Anti Robbery Squad also known as SARS.

Chief Dumo's clarion call for the restoration of adequate security in the state did not start overnight. He raised his voice even when he was a leading member of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP especially when the Wike faction of the party was clearly using violence against Rivers people in order to ensure that they win the primaries and the subsequent general election through intimidation. So to insinuate today that all the patriotic actions of the Abonnema born Chief is aimed at doing the bidding of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi is to state the least most childish and ingenious.

Chief Dumo is only doing what he has done over the years which is to condemn evil something that the present administration in the state has failed to tackle and seem to be comfortable with. I don't think  this resort to propaganda against him will make him soft pedal in his quest to free our dear state from the crutches of evil which it is wallowing today. It will rather increase his resolve to promote good governance and security in the state.

To King Ateke Tom the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom my advice is that he remain apolitical as he has been over the years. Many people will come to him with various stories against illustrious Rivers sons with aspirations to revive the state. He should learn to be a true traditional leader by deciphering lies from truths. Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs is a true Ijaw son who will never disparage  any Ijaw leader no matter how small the person may be. He has utmost respect for constituted authourity and as a lawyer will never criminalise anybody who has never been convicted by any court of law. He also will not say he will abandon the party which he has urged Rivers people to join nor will he abandon the principles of the party to pacify evildoers. His resolve is to liberate the state and no resort to cheap propaganda from the PDP media will deter him.


The truth is that Rivers state must be liberated no matter what evil doers in the state think do or plan. There is no going back on the project and it behoves all Rivers sons irrespective of the dichotomy that is created to join hands in the project of making Rivers state better.

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