Pro and anti-Amaechi supporters in Port Harcourt… on Wednesday
| credits: NAN
Eleven governors in opposition political parties, have condemned the
crisis in Rivers State, describing it as a ploy by the Federal
Government to declare emergency rule in the oil-rich state.
They made the claim just as the embattled Governor of the State,
Rotimi Amaechi, told visiting members of the Senate Committee on State
and Local Government Administration, that the state(Rivers) was under
siege.
Amaechi’s allegation is almost in tandem with the Niger State
Governor Babangida Aliyu’s belief that the Commissioner of Police,
Rivers State Command, Joseph Mbu, had become the governor of the
crisis-ridden state.
The 11 opposition governors, who are members of the Action Congress
of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Congress for Progressive Change
and All Progressives Grand Alliance , said in a statement in Abuja on
Thursday, that what was happening in Rivers State, was an assault on
Nigeria’s democracy.
Their statement, which was made available to journalists, reads in
part, “Events in Rivers State resulting in the shameful occupation of
the State Government House by members of the Nigeria Police Force on
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 are a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
“These developments are not only worrisome but outright condemnable
as an affront to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The Progressive Governors’ Forum unequivocally condemns the
ill-disguised attempt to create a state of emergency in Rivers State by
plunging the state into a needless and avoidable crisis.
“All available evidences surrounding the events of Tuesday and
Wednesday indicated that the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr.
Mbu, and his men did not act in a professional manner.
“Before now, the Police Commissioner had exhibited very clear bias
against the Governor (Amaechi) and other state officials. This is a
dangerous development that would only produce anarchy with unpredictable
consequences.”
They added that events of July 9 and 10 in the state represented
“acts sponsored by anarchists,” whose interest included subverting
democracy and exposing the lives of democratically elected
representatives to great danger.
According to them, “The constitutional responsibility of the State
House of Assembly is being impeded and in the circumstance the House of
Representatives has voted to take over the functions of the state
Assembly as provided under Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
“It is very clear to all discerning Nigerians that the crisis in
Rivers State is a product of intolerance and highhanded attempts to
undermine our rights as governors acting under the Nigeria Governors’
Forum to freely choose our leaders.”
• Crisis not unconnected to NGF poll
The opposition governors said that having elected Amaechi on May
24 as the NGF Chairman , the anti-democratic forces against the election
were now using other security agencies to threaten and intimidate him.
They said the same forces were in the process of engineering anarchy
and endangering the lives of innocent persons and property in the
state.
They therefore called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to only
exercise his moral authority, but also apply his constitutional
responsibilities to ensure the restoration of peace and protection of
the governor and all citizens of the state.
“Should the crisis in Rivers State continue and anything happen to
the governor or any official for that matter, the Nigerian leadership
would not be absolved of blame,” they warned.
They called on all Nigerians to do all within their powers to prevail
on those in positions of trust and responsibilities to exercise their
powers with restraint and refrain from steps that could plunge “our
fragile democracy” into a descent.
• Rivers under siege – Amaechi
Shortly before the governors of the opposition parties made their
statement public, Amaechi, told the Senate Committee on State and Local
Government Administration investigating the crisis in the state how
tear-gas canisters were shot into the state Government House.
Amaechi, who expressed shock over the sudden withdrawal of soldiers
and Armoured Personnel Carrier attached to Government House, lamented
that security commanders had not held meetings with him in the last two
months.
He said, “Yesterday (Wednesday), they were shooting tear-gas
canisters into Government House. When we were meeting with the Deputy
Inspector-General, the police claimed that it was inadvertent that they
shot tear-gas canisters into the Government House.
“So, I asked one question. Supposing it was a live bullet and it hit
me? and they said, ‘No, the governor was not outside.’ But I said I
was outside.
“We are under siege here. For two months now, we have not met with
security men. Security commanders in the state don’t come to me any
longer. They are either scared or they deliberately don’t want to see
me.”
• Soldiers withdrawn from governor
The governors also alleged that soldiers attached to him were
withdrawn on Wednesday and Thursday, thereby further exposing him to
danger.
“They withdrew soldiers attached to me yesterday(Wednesday) and
this(Thursday) morning, they withdrew the APC attached to Government
House, ” he lamented.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee, Kabiru Gaya, had
said, they were in the state to find out how “best we (Senate) could
have the (Rivers State) legislators perform their functions without
undue interference.”
He pointed out that the panel would after the courtesy visit on the governor, discuss with him to know what happened.
Gaya added,” We also need to talk with the Assembly members on both
sides, including the Commissioner of Police, the SSS(State Security
Service) and the JTF (Joint Task Force) . We have already asked the
Commissioner of Police to meet us.
“The purpose of our mission is to ensure that peace returns to the
state and to maintain good governance so that the people of the state
will relax and have peace.
“We are not happy with what we saw and what we heard, especially when
we saw people walking on the streets and their hands are up as if they
are being interrogated, as if the the state is at war.”
• Rivers CP now gov, says Aliyu
In Minna, Niger State, Governor Aliyu lamented the crisis in Rivers
State, saying what was on the ground indicated that the Commisssioner of
Police was now the governor of of the state.
Aliyu, who received the Commissioner for Revenue Mobilisation
Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Ambassador Zubairu Dada, at the
Government House, said, “You saw what is happening in Rivers State? A
Commissioner of Police has now become the Governor of Rivers State. Is
that the image we want the world to look out to?
The governor, who is also the chairman of Northern States Governors’
Forum, recalled that since he became his state’s chief executive, “there
has not been a Police Council Meeting.”
According to him, the PCM is supposed to “decide the appointment of Police Commissioners and their deployment.”
He therefore called for a reduction of the funds and powers available
to the Federal Government because it(Federal Government) had no
business in the provision of health, water, agriculture and education.
“There is too much money at the centre for the Federal Government to
spend and that is why they are creating problems for the states, “
Aliyu advised.
Pointing out that Nigeria was in a bad shape, he claimed that nobody knows the amount of oil the country produces.
• Jonathan not behind Rivers mayhem
Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak,
in an interview with our correspondent described the claim by opposition
governors that President Goodluck Jonathan planned to declare a state
of emergency in Rivers State as untrue.
He said the claim was a mere opposition statement.
The presidential aide said rather than dragging the name of the
President into the crisis, Governor Rotimi Amaechi should be advised to
face his problem squarely.
He said, “That claim is not true. It is a mere opposition statement.
That is not the first state House of Assembly in Nigeria that there will
be problem. The President has nothing to do with it.
“Rather than dragging the name of the President to the crisis, Amaechi should be advised to face his problem squarely.”’
Also, Jonathan has denied instigating the crisis in the Rivers State
House of Assembly, saying as a President, he will never support any
actions that negate his commitment to the rule of law.
He also called on those behind the mayhem to sheathe their swords and
show greater respect for the constitution and the rule of law.
Jonathan’s position was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.
The statement reads in part, “The Presidency has also noted with
regret the continuing attempts by some individuals and groups to place
responsibility for the unpleasant developments in Rivers State
on
President Jonathan.
“We are constrained to state once again that there is absolutely no
factual basis for suggestions that some of the politicians involved in
the current dispute are acting at the behest of the President.”
Expressing concern over what he called untoward political
developments in the state, Jonathan urged members of the state
Assembly and all other political gladiators in the state to put the
interests of the state and the nation above their personal egos.
