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Rivers Elders, Clark, Johnson, Others Condemn Impeachment Plot, Attack On Fubara …There Can Only Be One Governor At A Time -Abe …As Rivers Women Express Support For Gov
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, has condemned the attempt by desperate lawmakers and their co-travellers to hijack the state government through a kangarroo impeachment and violent attack on Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Johnson, who spoke with journalists during a protest on Monday said, “I am a lawyer, we live in the principle of verifiable and cogent reasons. So, they must tell Rivers people what the governor has done.
“The governor has urged the police and other security agencies to unravel the mystery behind the sudden explosion at the Assembly building.
“It is a fight for Rivers people and Siminalayi Fubara. Rivers people gave him that mandate and it is Rivers people that should decide. Power is not in any man’s hand, it is in the hands of God. So, power must shift and it has shifted.”
In his own reaction, an elder statesman and former Publicity Secretary of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, described the situation as a mutiny against the State and the people.
Sara-Igbe said, “What happened today is mutiny against the people of Rivers State. So, I strongly, whole heartedly, condemned what happened in Rivers State.
“It goes to show that somebody somewhere wants to show power, it goes to show somebody wants to continue to run the state.
“A situation where somebody is a governor and you don’t have any power to appoint any member of your cabinet and someone will be telling the governor what he will collect from the revenue is a mutiny.”
Sara-Igbe alleged that the former governor and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, was suppressing the incumbent governor in the governance of the Dtate.
He stated, “Rivers State belongs to all of us and it does not belong to one man. You have looted enough and you are not satisfied after you left. You want to control Abuja, you want to control Rivers State, and the governor is till loyal, but you don’t want to give him little space.
“You want to cut-off his neck. He has gone beyond his boundaries, and so, Rivers people should get up.
“Rivers people voted for Sim Fubara as governor of the state, and they didn’t vote for Wike as governor of the state. Wike was brought by President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience. They made him governor, they did not dictate for him.
“They did not force him to be bringing Rivers money to them. So, why should Wike ask somebody, because he assisted him.
“I have severally advised former governors not to do wrong to avoid the law of Karma, and it will come when you do not expect. I think Karma wants to start by his own fault, not that the governor wants to pay him back but by his own natural fault he is inviting the Karma upon himself.
“I think Mr. Governor should take steps. He has constitutional powers, he should takeover government. He should not rely on Wike or anybody because they are not trustworthy.”
Sara-Igbe advised Fubara to call an emergency security meeting, stressing, “For them to be looking at the governor and splash him hot water, is a disgrace to Rivers people. And for you to point gun at the governor, you have pointed gun at Rivers people.”
Meanwhile, the National Leader, South-South/PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, has called on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the Rivers crisis and call the former governor of the State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to order.
The Ijaw leader, at a press briefing on the Rivers crisis on Monday, also urged Tinubu to rein in on the security agencies in the State.
Clark said, “I have been greatly disturbed by the reported developments in Rivers State in the last 24 hours. I have been reliably informed that there is a plot to unlawfully remove the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, who has spent only about 5 months in office.
“I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike. And that the intention is to remove the Governor, force his deputy, Professor Ngozi Odu to resign, and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly, another Ikwerre person as the governor of the State.
“Let me warn strongly, we won’t allow that to happen!
“President Bola Tinubu must call Nyesom Wike and the security agencies in Rivers State to order, to avert any untold crisis in Rivers State.
“Last night, the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly was burnt, in what apparently is part of the plot to destabilize the State.
“The Governor was tear-gassed and was even threatened with being shot at when he visited the Assembly Complex after the incident, to assess the level of damage.
“We are not in a barbaric state where people can do whatever they like; we are in a democracy and the tenets of constitutional democracy must be upheld by all
“Rivers people have suffered enough political crises, the state should not be allowed to degenerate again into its dark past, and the Niger Delta Region by extension. The consequences would be dire for the stability of the region and the National Economy.
“What has Governor Fubara done wrong? Refusing to be further “remote controlled”?
“Mr. Nyesom Wike was Governor for 8 years, nobody hassled him. He governed Rivers State like an Emperor, he did not show any iota of respect and regard to anyone, not even those who imposed him on Rivers people in 2015.
“President Tinubu must act fast and avert the unfolding crisis in Rivers State in the interest of his administration, the nation’s democracy, and the Country at large “.
Also, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, urged the people of Rivers State to rally around Fubara and save the state “from a very unprincipled emperor.”
In a statement made available to journalists in Port Harcourt, Eze cautioned Wike to refrain from “his indulgence targeted against efforts to resist his boundless sense of entitlement and overlordship over the public and private lives and concerns of others, especially those who hold public office in trust for the people.
“The attempt to commence impeachment process against Rivers State governor just because he wants to revive most of Amaechi’s vision, like the Songhai and the Greater Port Harcourt, all aimed at making Rivers State not only self-sufficient, and empowering most youths in Rivers State, is sad and unfortunate.”
Similarly, a group, Citizens for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (CSDND), condemned the purported suspension of the leader of the state Assembly, the impeachment notice against Fubura, and the alleged tear gas attack by some policemen on the state governor while on his way to assess the fire outbreak at the state Assembly complex on Sunday night.
In a statement made by its National Coordinator, James Okpara, CSDND said it was also too early for political actors to engage in show of strength and ego clash that will throw the state into chaos.
According to the group, it would be a shame for a governor, who had just spent only five months in office, to be confronted with this magnitude of coup d’état against him.
CSDND, in the statement, argued that despite the fact that the emergence of Fubara, an Ijaw, was welcomed by the majority of the stakeholders from the region, “The evil plot to destabilise the state House of Assembly and the executive arm in a battle for control is evil and should be widely condemned.”
It added, “The suspected dynamite explosion at the state House of Assembly Complex in Port Harcourt, suspension of the leader, and impeachment notice against Governor Fubura is an indication that those behind the attack are desperate and are enemies of the Rivers people”.
Also speaking on the crisis, former representative of the Rivers South East Senatorial District at the 8th National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, condemned the current political imbroglio in the state.
The senator in a statement on his Facebook account on Monday titled: ‘I CONDEMN THE ONGOING UNREST IN RIVERS STATE’ insisted that there can only be one Governor of a state at a time according to the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement reads: “In as much as I have chosen to remain silent on the Political issues in Rivers State, let me make four simple statements:
“As seen in trending videos in the media space today (Monday), the direct gun shots and tear-gassing on the person of the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Simialayi Fubara, who is the Chief Security Officer of the state, was wrong. This is beyond politics, and I publicly condemn it”.
Abe a former minority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly between 1999 and 2003, further stated that, “As a former Minority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I am particularly saddened by the destruction of our beloved House of Parliament, and a valuable state asset: this is unacceptable”.
He went further to say, “I believe that in the interest of the state, the Nigerian Police needs to have a deeper conversation with the Governor who is the current Chief Security Officer and the only Rivers man that currently enjoys constitutional immunity”.
The Senator submitted that there can be only one Governor of the state at a time and therefore, “whatever our political differences, we must look for ways to resolve them without jeopardising the peace and security of our fellow citizens”.
Meanwhile, civil society group dedicated to promoting peace, unity, and progress within Rivers State, Women United for Peaceful Rivers, has vehemently condemned the move to impeach Governor Fubara.
The women forum, in a statement by its chairperson, Dr. Adaku Amadi, and vice chairperson, Ebiere Thomas, expressed unwavering support for Fubara.
The statement read, “We express our unwavering support for Governor Fubara,, and we are determined to protect the stability and prosperity of our beloved state.
“We wish to make it abundantly clear that any attempt to impeach the Governor will be met with resistance from the women of Rivers State.
“We, as Women United for Peaceful Rivers, stand together in our resolve to defend the democratic values and the rule of law that our state holds dear.
“We urge the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Martin’s Amaewhule, and all members of the Assembly not to take any actions that may jeopardize the peace and stability of our state. .
“Our commitment to peace should not be underestimated. We firmly believe that the women of Rivers State will not stand idly by and watch retrogressive forces dismantle the progress we have achieved.
“We echo the words of wisdom that to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
The Rivers State Chief judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi has granted pardon to six inmates standing awaiting trial at the Port Harcourt maximum correctional center.
The six lucky inmates granted pardon on Tuesday by the state Chief Judge included Nwekeala Chizoba, Samuel Emmanuel, Aniete Kelvin, Ebube Fubara and Goddey Okpara who were on awaiting trial as murder suspects and have all spent between 10 years to seven years in the custody without a proper information filed against them in the court.
Justice Amadi during a special gaol delivery exercise last Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre opined that the special gaol delivery was part of activities lined up to commomerate the 2024/2025 legal year in the State and restated the commitment of the state judiciary in decongesting the correctional centre and ensuring that those inmates who are not supposed to be there are removed from the custody.
The state chief judge stressed the need for all stakeholders to work together to build a society that supports rehabilitation and gives a second chance to anyone or group of people who have fallen short of the expectation of the law and have been punished accordingly.
He stressed that the National Judicial Council(NJC) encourages judges to pay more attention to criminal matters to enable them to decongests the correctional facilities, noting that since his assumption into office, his administration has been able to reduce the number of inmates in Nigerian Correctional Centres and the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in particular, to less than 2,000 as against the over 4,000 inmates previously in the faculty.
According to him, “as they release the deserving inmates, they affirm their commitment to justice, compassion and rule of law but that they must not forget the fundamental principles of justice delivery system which is truth and fairness, integrity and equality before the law.”
I encourage you all the released inmates to return to your families and become better citizens. You must not engage in action that will return you all back to prison. Let me say that while the judges show empathy to you all, it does not absolved individuals from being held accountable for actions against individuals, corporate organisations and state which the law frowns at, ”he stated
The Chief Judge thereafter stood down the exercise to enable the DPP to intervene to case files following the fact that majority of the persons listed to benefit from the exercise are facing murder charges and adjourned to a date that will come before December.
Earlier in his goodwill message, the outgoing state Comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Centre, Port Harcourt, Felix Lawrence, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Controller General, commended the state judiciary led by Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor Amadi for their continuous effort aimed at ensuring justice and decongesting the facilities.
Other activities lined up for the event included special church service at St Paul’s Cathedral , Anglican Communion, Rebisi Port Harcourt, inspection of guard of honour by the state Chief Judge mounted by officers of the Nigerian police and a special court session held at the ceremonial court hall.
By: AkujobiAmadi
The Director General of Rivers State Bureau on Public Procurement (RBoPP), Dr. Ine Briggs, has explained that the Sir Siminalayi Fubara administration plans to enforce transparency in governance through public procurement.
Speaking at a one-day Public Procurement Enlightenment workshop organised in collaboration with the State Local Government Service Commission for newly elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries and leaders of legislative assemblies, Dr. Briggs said it is key for grassroot development.
She stated that the Sir. Fubara administration plans to reduce wastage and at same time infuse efficiency in public expenditure.
The RSoPP DG said the local government political office holders remain key drivers in the new vision hence the workshop is to arm them with knowledge on how to execute projects in tandem with needs of the people.
“ Your role in the prudent management of public resources is, therefore, not just administrative it’s the cornerstone of delivering the dividends of democracy. Every procurement decision you make must reflect a commitment to fairness, transparency and accountability” Dr. Briggs submitted.
One of the key goals of the administration she further reminded the participants was to use their offices to foster economic growth through public procurement.
She warned that the law establishing the agency empowers it to penalise defaulters, but that what is more important is voluntary compliance to the laws.
In addition to that, she said urged the local government council leaders that champion the practice and implementation of public procurement law.
On his part, Acting Chairman of Local Government Service Commission, Pastor GoodLife Ben Iduoku averred that the aim of the workshop is to arm key stakeholders in the local government system to generate new ideas, innovation and strategies in tandem with government policies and programmes.
The workshop dealt on various topics on procurement planning, methods, Understanding Bid Process, including types of Construction Contracts and law.
Some participants were awarded excellence and meritorious awards as part of the programme.
By: Kevin Nengia
The 19th anniversary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Rivers State Chapter, recently ended in Port Harcourt in grand style, with participants from various schools including proprietors, the academia, civil society groups and top government functionaries charting the way forward for educational improvement.
The 19th NAPPS anniversary christened, ‘Innovation and Adaptation: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities’ was held at Casoni Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the association, Dr. Jaja Adafe Sunday expressed gratitude to the members and executives for their untiring efforts towards the achievements of the body.
He sought the intervention of government on the lingering crisis on the economy as it is affecting the running of schools.
He decried high cost of things including fuel and raw materials which has adversely affected the running of schools and payment of teachers.
Dr. Sunday hinted that the current economic situation in the nation is biting hard on the operations of schools, saying inflation, removal of fuel subsidy, fuel scarcity, poor electricity supply, tariffs and lack of government grants are some of the challenges faced by schools, and urged the members to brace up to the challenges, as it is the panacea to building a brighter future.
Guest speakers from the health sector and the academia thrilled the gathering on the essence of basic education which they said is the key to national development.
Former Dean of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Azuru and the Chief Medical Director of Meridian Hospitals, Dr. Odo Iyke were some notable guest speakers who delivered lectures at the occasion.
Some distinguished proprietors also got special recognitions and awards.
The 19th anniversary cake was cut by the Rivers State NAPPS Chairman with representatives of the state government assisting.