Coalition Opposes Rivers Emergency Rule, Calls for Federal Intervention

A group, the Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thought has faulted calls for the declaration of a state of emergency, describing it as not only uncalled for, but unacceptable.

The coalition noted that anyone calling for an emergency rule in the state merely because of the ongoing political crisis, which has not gone beyond control, does not love Rivers State.

Recall that the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, had in a recent media briefing called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state, citing the crisis that greeted the tenure elongation of the local government chairmen, which claimed two lives.

Okocha had said, “As it is now in Rivers State, the governor is helpless. The police are helpless. That is why we are calling on the Federal Government to come and help us by declaring a state of emergency in Rivers State to stop further loss of lives.”

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But the convener of the coalition, High Chief Sunnie Chukumele, at a news briefing in Port Harcourt, said that the political crisis in the state was not out of hand, and was not enough for anyone to make such a call, saying Okocha, should be arrested,

Chukumele also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to invite for questioning, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, the immediate past chairman of Ikwerre Local Government, who he is allegely is instigating violence in the state.

He stated, “We call on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to immediately arrest Chief Tony Okocha and Dr. Samuel Nwanosike for questioning over their utterances, which have been widely publicized.

“There’s no situation in Rivers State which deserves that call for a state of emergency because we are witnesses to the developments in our state. As we said in the statement we issued to you today, they are acting a script and God will forbid them that it happens.”

The coalition maintained that what is happening in the state is a well-articulated script being acted by about 21 local government chairmen in the state, whose tenure ended officially on the 17th of June, 2024.

Chukumele further said it is wrong for the council chairmen to rely on non-existing laws enacted by the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. to amend the state Local Government Laws, to extend the tenure of the council bosses.

He said, “The script has just been echoed by the call by Chief Okocha the APC CTC chairman in Rivers State, for a state of emergency to be declared in our dear state.

“Also, is the vituperation of Dr. Nwanosike, the immediate past chairman of Ikwerre Local Government who has been the mouthpiece of the destabilizers of Rivers State, whose penchant for denigrating the office and person of the state governor has become a trademark. This is unacceptable by the people of Rivers State.”

The body however appealed to President Bola Tinubu to again intervene in the crisis to prevent further escalation.

It said, “May we also use this medium to prayerfully appeal to the President and father of the nation, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to timeously take immediate steps to wade into the impending catastrophe in Rivers State, caused by political gladiators claiming extreme closeness to Mr. President.

“Also is the propensity for this political conflict to snowball into arms conflicts. Mr President, we pray you ask your Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, our son and former governor, to rein in his political henchmen in Rivers State, who are acting scripts and at the same time calling for a state of emergency in our state.”

The coalition further urged the Nigeria Judicial Council to look into the activities of judicial officers on the various thorny issues in Rivers State, whereupon conflicting interpretations, orders and judgements have become the order of the day.

It added, “We call on the international community to wade into the imbroglio in Rivers State, as not arresting the situation immediately may also affect the economic interests of international oil corporations operating in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.”