• Demolishes Assembly complex, moves against defecting lawmakers
A fresh twist crept into the political tension in River States, yesterday, as no fewer than 10 bulldozers charged into the House of Assembly complex and reduced the imposing structures to rubbles.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, said the decision to demolish and rebuild the complex was due to the structural defects which arose mainly as a result of the recent explosion and fire incident which rendered the main building unfit for human use.
Johnson said after the visit of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to inspect the level of damage done to the building on the day of the fire incident, it became necessary to invite professionals to advice the government on the integrity of the building.
“It would be recalled that on the night of the attack on the complex, explosive dynamites were used to attack the complex which shook it to the foundation.
“There were visible cracks on the walls afterwards, and the entire structure looked frail and unsafe for legislative business.
“After the assessment of the integrity of the complex, the experts warned the government that continuing to use the building in its present state would be disastrous.”
Johnson said the government had tried all cost saving measures towards repair of the complex until it bowed to superior view of rebuilding the complex to a more befitting edifice.
The commissioner added that, in the interim, the Rivers State government has provided an alternative venue for the House of Assembly to conduct their affairs pending the rebuilding of the complex.
However, observers are of the opinion that there is more to the demolition than the explanation from the state government.
According to them, the action is to incapacitate the 27 lawmakers loyal to former governor and incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday.
The demolition occurred while the FCT minister was celebrating his birthday in Abuja.
Despite the face-off, Governor Fubara referred to Wike as “my Oga” and congratulated him on his 56th birthday.
In a statement, Governor Fubara conveyed his congratulations on the special occasion.
“Your Excellency, my dear wife and I, and the good people of Rivers State, join your family and friends to felicitate you on this day. We sincerely pray that your new age brings you joy and good health,” Governor Fubara expressed in his congratulatory message.
Meanwhile, the House of Assembly has moved a motion declaring vacant the 25 seats of members who recently defected.
The motion was unanimously supported by the four-member Assembly, led by Edison Ehie (PDP-Ahoada 11) during plenary.
Ehie, who was recognised as speaker on Tuesday by a High Court of Rivers State in Port Harcourt, said the House had received notices and correspondences including newspaper publications from 25 members of the House on their formal defection from PDP to the APC.
“We are aware that it is the right of members and for every Nigerian as regards freedom of association.
“While we respect that constitutional right, we are also mindful as a legislative Assembly of our allegiance to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and our oaths of office to defend the constitution which is our guide.
“The actions of these members and colleagues who have been on suspension is a gross violation of the constitution which provides that a member of the state House of Assembly shall only defect to another party other than the party on whose platform they were elected if there is a division or crises in the parent party.
‘As we all know, there is no crisis in our party, the PDP, therefore, the provision of Section 109, Sub 1, Paragraph ‘G’ of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended attracts a vacation of the seats of these affected members.”
Ehie also noted that there is no crisis or division in PDP as it had continued to operate with an undivided national leadership.
“Our party structure at the state level is also intact with a working committee, led by Chukwu Emeka as our state party chairman,” he added.
Adolphus Orubienimigha, member representing Opobo/Nkoro state constituency, was elected as new the leader of the 10th House of Assembly at its sitting at the temporary Assembly complex in Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Before the earthmover rolled into the complex, Governor Fubara had presented the 2024 appropriation bill to the House of Assembly.
Presenting the bill of N800 billion to the Ehie-led Assembly in a hall in Government House, Port Harcourt, Governor Fubara said his administration would continue to focus on delivering on his mandate as every sector will benefit from the development agenda.
He assured his administration will work with the Assembly to achieve the desired success for the state.
The governor said his administration,within the past six months, had completed projects inherited from the previous administration and those not complete are currently near completion.
Governor Fubara said his administration will put measures in place to stimulate industrialisation to encourage investment for the development of the state.
He said his administration was up-to-date in payment of salary and pension to civil servants, adding that his administration has spent N6 billion to pay backlog of gratuity to retired civil servants.
Governor Fubara said the 2024 budget was based on the inflation rate and other economic reality in the country.
•APC chieftain warns Tinubu against taking side in Rivers, Ondo imbroglio
Former deputy national publicity secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Yekini Nabena, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against siding or dabbling into the political crisis in Rivers and Ondo states.
There has been an unending political imbroglio between Wike and Fubara and Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Responding to the crisis, Nabena cautioned that the president, as a father of the nation, must not play politics in the two states.
In a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, the APC chieftain said the president and the APC must respect the constitution of Nigeria in respect to Ondo and Rivers states.
Nabena insisted that President Tinubu must not play politics with the two states, but must show that he is a democrat not a dictator.
The Bayelsa-born APC chieftain further said: “President Tinubu who believe in the political or social equality of all people and practice the principle of equality of rights must not play politics with River and Ondo states.
“The constitution of our nation must be recognised and respected at this time in Rivers and Ondo states. The APC should also look into the party constitution carefully, bearing in mind that the National Working Committee of our party does not have powers to dissolve an elected chairman and his executive in Rivers.
“We are democrats and not dictators in APC, so we should be mindful of our actions. The implications of this action in River State might be dangerous for our party in the near future if the right thing is not done quickly now, if not, what happened before in 2019 will happen again with litigations here and there.”
•Intervene, Peterside tells president
Former director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, also called on President Tinubu, to, as a matter of urgency, intervene in the political crisis in Rivers State.
The 2015 governorship candidate of APC said President Tinubu’s intervention has become necessary to save the state from going up in flames.
Peterside, in a statement, also said he has watched with shock, disgust, and disbelief, the ongoing ugly descent into anarchy of governance and public affairs and the naked display of anti-democratic and anti-people actions by some political actors in Rivers State.
He further said from the reported defection of 27 supposed members of Rivers State House of Assembly, to the demolition of the permanent site of the Assembly complex for renovation, there is no better phrase to describe what Rivers State has become other than a shameful state of anomie.
“We see there is a ranked display of mockery of democracy and mindless destruction of everything democracy by the same people who should be defending it.
“It is sad that in the past few weeks, the peace, stability, and development of the state have been sacrificed on the altar of selfish political agenda, ego, and narrow interests of a few.
“It is clear from these political actors’ utterances and body language that the only goal dictating their actions is controlling the soul of Rivers State to the detriment of the state’s people. The people and their interests have been relegated to the background, while political jobbers hold the state on a knife-edge.
“Many of our past patriotic leaders sacrificed a lot to build a peaceful, united, and prosperous Rivers State, which these handful of political actors seek to destroy. Rivers people would resist this brigandage, and I urge them to do so urgently. Posterity is going to judge all of us.
“At this point, as a leader and stakeholder in the affairs of Rivers State who has personally invested a lot in the development of our state, I call on the president and commander-in-chief to intervene and save Rivers from going up in flames. Mr. President should note that Rivers State is gradually sliding into total anarchy. As a statesman, he cannot afford to fold his hands and watch the destruction of the state and institutions of democracy.”
Peterside further told President Tinubu that it was incumbent on him to place the interest of the state and its people above other consideration, even as he called on Rivers people to oppose politics of destruction and personality cults.
“Mr. President, at this point, must place the interest of Rivers State and the people above every other consideration.
“I appeal to all genuine elders and well-meaning youths of the state to oppose the politics of destruction and personality cults. We should be in favour of politics of good governance and inclusive development,” Peterside said.
•Count us out of crisis –FG
The Federal Government has washed its hands from the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, his loyalists and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, saying the government does not share the position of the former governor.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said this while responding to questions from State House Correspondents on the development after briefing on the outcomes of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the presidential villa in Abuja.
He emphasised that the Federal Government has no hand in creating the crisis which has seen the FCT minister and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly pitted against Fubara.
Asked whether the Federal Government shares Wike’s position on the matter as a member of the federal cabinet, the information minister said: “Well, he is a federal cabinet member; he is involved in the situation in the state. That cannot be a Federal Government position. How can it be the Federal Government’s position?”
Idris saidt the Federal Government is keen to ensure peace and tranquility in every part of the country, including Rivers, saying: “Well, the Federal Government is always interested in the well being of all the states, and in that direction, the Federal Government will always align with everyone in Nigeria to make sure there is peace and tranquility in all parts of this country.
“But you know what has happened in Rivers is not a creation of the Federal Government. It is a political problem that is brewing in the state.
“Of course, the government will ensure there is peace and stability for all Nigerians, including River State, but you can’t say this is a creation of the Federal Government. The Federal Government never had any hand in creating that problem.”
On the allegation raised by Asari Dokubo, accusing President TInubu of ignoring the festering crisis in Rivers State, the government’s spokesman noted that what the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force said is only advisory.
“I saw Dokubo’s message. It was an advisory. He made an advisory. And when you make an advisory, you allow time to see whether the person you have given the advice will look at it again and come back to you. That does not suggest anything. That doesn’t suggest the Federal Government created that problem. It was never a creation of the Federal Government. It is a creation of the political situation in River State.”
SUN NEWS
