- Suspends Governor Fubara, State Assembly For 6 months
PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the lingering political crisis in the state, stating that a declaration of emergency became necessary due to the attendant effects of the crisis on democracy, security and wellbeing of the citizens.
The President, who stated this in a national broadcast on Tuesday, said he felt greatly disturbed by the development.
“Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
“With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state,” he said.
The President said the state had been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.
According to him, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers, for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as Dec. 13, 2023 and has, up until now, 14 months after, not rebuilt same.
“I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis.
“I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, leaders of thought and patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them,” continued Tinubu.
He stated that on Feb. 28, the supreme court pronounced a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers.
He said the judgment was based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that had been committed by the Governor as shown by the evidence before the judgment was pronounced in very clear terms.
He said the judgment stated that, “a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended.
“In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot as if there is no government in Rivers State.”
Tinubu said the above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against Gov. Siminalayi Fubara.
He said the judgment held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected were still valid members of Rivers House of Assembly and could not be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the Governor in cohorts with four members.
Tinubu said the Supreme Court made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy.
These orders, he said, included the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which up till now has not been facilitated.
He, however, said some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor, who had up till now not disowned them.
“Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together. Both of them do not realise that, they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state,” he said.
The President stated that the latest security reports made available to him showed that between Monday and Tuesday, there had been disturbing incidents of vandalisation of pipelines by some militants without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
“I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state,” he said.
He said it had become compelling for him to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers with effect from March 18.
“By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
“In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd.) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State,” Tinubu said.
He, however, said that for the avoidance of doubt, the declaration did not affect the judicial arm of the state, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.
“The Administrator will not make any new laws.
‘He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.
“This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution.
“It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State .
“It will awaken all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole,” he said. (NAN)
