Vendors revolt against police  harassment in Imo

–-Abandon newspaper stands,  stop supply to Govt House

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The umbrella body of newspaper distributors in Imo State, ‘Newspapers Distribution Association’ on Tuesday made do their threat of suspending all circulation of newspapers by distributors and vendor in the  state including supply to government House, Owerri.

Nation Update correspondent in Owerri saw many newspaper stands in the state were without vendors  to display and sell the daily newspapers.

The action of the body followed the recent harrassments, arrests, assault and detention of newspaper vendors in the state by men said to be Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police.

The latest being the Monday morning 10th, May incident where no fewer than seven newspaper vendors and distribution agents in the state were arrested at their distribution  base located at Number 5 Rotibi Street, Douglas Road, Owerri, as the circulation of the day’s newspapers was ongoing.

Contributing at a radio station, Ozisa FM, Situation Room Report Programme in Owerri, the Chairman, Newspapers Distribution Association, Imo chapter, Ikechukwu Tasie, said the union has decided to go on indefinite strike by Tuesday, saying there will be no paper  on any news stand by tomorrow for sell.

Tasie who narrated how it all started last week Tuesday at Orlu where the state circulation manager  of New Telegraph Newspaper, Chuks Ugwuibe, was arrested and was still being held in an undisclosed security facility by security operatives while taking his weekly returns from vendors.

“It started two weeks ago when one of our members went to  do his returns, they arrested him, confiscated his papers, we wrote to the state government, they denied knowledge of the development, at that point, we made a press release.

“We haven’t got any response yet till this morning when we heared security men came to Rotibi Street, our collection centre and seized newspapers.

“We called the police, they said they don’t know anything about it, that  the order was from above. I have been to the state Information Commissioner, requested for a meeting be convened between us and the government to have an interface, to enable us understand the security issues and what the vendors  need to do, what the government want; or the newspapers they don’t want us to sell. We  wrote them as a union, but they  have refused to call us.

“They have refused to recognise and listen to us.

They even picked the Statesman that  belonged to the state government, which we felt was a mere smoke screne,” he said.

He stated that even the state government House will defenetly be denied daily newspapers supply.

He expressed dismay that freedom of information is under attack in Imo State at this era, even as the World Press Freedom Day was celebrated on May 3.

Tasie further cried, “They have messed my members up, seizing their papers and beating them blue and black.

“We will not backdown untill the state government comes to dialogue with us and appease our members brutalized. We have incurred so much loss.

Iwundu  Onyebuchi one of the arrested vendors who was in the situation though in excruciating pains however narrated their ordeal.

He stated how five of them were taken to the Rapid Response Unit of the police in Owerri were they were accused of supporting Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and have refused to  support the government.

He wondered how selling newspapers registered by government that was not written by them has amounted to support for IPOB.

“As  you can see, am in pains due to injuries i sustained from brute force. We were in the office this morning, police came, searching all the papers, siezing anyone that carried any news on IPOB, they  will carry the papers and the vendor.

“They released us, and held one of us called Sacanta we told them to go after the publishers not us. We only sell papers,” he restated.

Most of the callers to the radio programme decried what they called gagging of freedom of information in the state, wondered why every of such atrocities in the recent time starts in the state, they called on the state government to come out and state its position on this onslaught on the press before its too late.

A caller to  the programme, from Wetheral road, Owerri, Hon. Chiji Iwuchukwu said, “it’s like the government wants to mussle the press. With this step, the state cannot move forward. The best that can happen to any government is when the opposition is at work, that will make you do better, once you mussle  opposition, you can never do better, this can not last beyond this time.”

Joseph from Awaka Owerri warned radio stations in the state to be on their guide as  they will soon go after them, saying the crackdown on vendors was just the beginning.

Nnamdi from Ubommiri, Owerri Saud, ” Everything would want to start in Imo State, this is a state where the 4th becomes first.”

Nnena  from  Akwakuma advised the security agencies to better go to Sambisa Forest and carry out their onslaught rather than harassing poor and helpless vendors striving so hard to put food on the table for their families.

Anorue Lynda said a vendor has no hand in newspaper publication, the current situation in Imo State was out of place which goes a long way to say that ordinary citizens are not safe in the hands of government agencies that are meant to protect them.

Francis from Porth-Harcourt called on the governor as the Chief Security Officer of the state to be responsive and restore the peoples confidence in a civilized manner.

Residents and Nigerians from all walks of life have continued to  call on the government to jettison this approach saying its crude, barbaric and archaic.

The situation is worsened by the ongoing judiciary workers strike in the country today, as it has been in a good position to make pronouncements to save the situation.