The Concerned Civil Society Organisations, a coalition of civil society groups in Rivers State, has condemned the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu.
At a press conference Port Harcourt on Thursday, the coalition said the President went beyond his powers when in the declaration of the state of emergency, he suspended the Governor, the Deputy Governor and the House of Assembly.
Mr. Courage Nsirimovu, who read the text of the press conference said the President violated Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution when he suspended the governor, the deputy governor and the house of assembly.
“President Tinubu went further to arrogate to himself powered of the time of Adolf Hitler of Germany by declaring that the Sole Administrator he appointed should make proclamations – laws for Rivers State, whereas Section 11 of the 1999 Constitution clearly empowered the National Assembly to take over the business of lawmaking for Rivers in the circumstance,” Nsirimovu said.
He added that the President failed to demonstrate neutrality in the Rivers State crisis when he “openly declared support and gave presidential backing to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike’s faction in the political crisis in the state.”
He also disputed that President’s claim that supporters of the governor were responsible for the threats to oil installations. This he said lent credence to the President’s failure to handle “a mere political impasse.”
The coalition accused the FCT Minister of trying to inflame tensions in the state through his media chats and denigration of the Ijaw nation and revered individuals like the late Chief Edwin Clark.
“If anybody has inflamed the political atmosphere to this level, it is Nyesom Wike. Let it be clear to all Nigerians that this crisis involves three key parties: Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the FCT Minister,” the coalition said.
It said that despite efforts by Governor Fubara to present the budget as ordered by the Supreme Court to the House of Assembly, the lawmakers refused to respond. “Instead they adjourned plenary sine die on the instructions of Nyesom Wike only to reconvene and serve impeachment notice on the governor and his deputy.”
They therefore said it was a clear case of injustice for the President to single out the Governor and the House of Assembly for suspension while failing to discipline Wike.
They recalled that the President failed to declare a state of emergency in certain parts of the country where terrorists, bandits and other non-state actors but did so in Rivers State where there was peace and tranquility. “We would have loved to see the President channel his despotic inclination to those areas to recapture and restore those territories under state control.
The coalition praised Governor Siminilayi Fubara and residents of the state for their peaceful disposition and vowed to take legal action within and outside Nigeria to restore constitutional democracy in Rivers State.
The press statement was signed by Amb. Tombari Dumka-Kote, Indigenous NGOs and Civil Society Network, Dr Sophia Daniels of Initiative for Sustainable Peace and Entrepreneurial; PILEX Center for Civic Education Initiative; Center for Rural Integration and Development; The Books Foundation; and Community Initiative for Enhanced Peace Peace and Development.
