RIVERS State Government has declared that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mbu Joseph, has no legal power to ban street protests or peaceful demonstration.
The state Attorney- General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Worgu Boms, who made this declaration in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, warned Mbu not to perform the function of the legislature.
Boms stated the need for the state police commissioner to carry out his responsibilities according to the dictates of the law and avoid allowing himself to be used by some political forces against the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
Explaining that the Public Order Act authorises only the state governor to grant permission for street processions, the commissioner expressed worry that Mbu’s conduct and utterances could lead to anarchy.
He said, “The commissioner of police is a commissioner of police, and not a lawmaker or a law interpreter – functions that statutorily and constitutionally belong to the parliament and the judiciary, respectively.”
Culled: Punchng
