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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, said the emergency rule saved Rivers from looming anarchy and bloodshed.
He called on the National Assembly to expeditiously ratify the president’s declaration in the interest of peace, progress, development and good governance of Rivers and the country.
Nwuche, who spoke in Port Harcourt, observed that the protracted crisis, which spanned over a year, had adversely affected governance and economic prosperity of the oil-rich state.
He said investors were leaving the state in droves because of the crisis, adding that the state was near comatose with confusion and uncertainties defining the daily activities of the government.
Nwuche said by the declaration and the appointment of a Sole Administrator, the President had demonstrated that he is a proactive leader and will not sit idly and watch any part of the country burn.
He said the situation became most worrisome following the attacks on major oil installations by criminals describing the development as unacceptable, after certain groups had issued such threats.
He advised the political actors in the crisis to use the opportunity created by the emergency rule to peacefully resolve their differences and de-escalate the tension in the state, while abiding by the rule of law. On the contrary, former member of the House of Representatives and governorship candidate in Edo State, Mr. Emmanuel Arigbe-Osula, said there is no place in the 1999 constitution that gives President Tinubu the authority to remove a democratically elected governor and suspend a House of Assembly.
“He has the power to declare a state of emergency, but that power doesn’t remove the governor and the House of Assembly. This action is an inexplicable contravention of our country’s constitution and should be seen and known to all as null and void. Coming from President Tinubu, former lawmaker and governor, it is a big disappointment and shame to have done this under any guise. This has taken our democracy to an all time low. Just like I said then, when President Obasanjo did the same, President Tinubu is recklessly lawless by so doing,” he said.
