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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
An international organisation, the United Mission For Rural and Urban Africa Community Empowerment (UMRUACE), has threatened to petition embassies to place visa ban on politicians causing political instability in Rivers State.
African National Coordinator/Executive Director of the organisation, Douglas Fabeke, alleged in Port Harcourt, over the weekend, that utterances of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and former Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, contributed to the heightened political atmosphere in the state.
He expressed worry that the political tension in the state might drive-away potential investors.
“History has shown that political instability has never been good for any nation or country. It drives away investors and renders the people poorer. This is not what Nigeria needs at the moment. The country is in dire need of leaders with vision and transformative ideas.”
Fabeke appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the FCT minister to order to prevent possible breakdown of law and order in Rivers State. “The President should not allow himself to be used to cause political instability in Rivers State.”
Fabeke also frowned at what he described as unwholesome activities of pro-Wike House of Assembly lawmakers, trying to frustrate Governor Siminalayi Fubara`s administration by initiating several anti-peoples’ bills.
“These 27 members, who should have resigned their positions as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, have continued to constitute political tension in Rivers State by continuing to pass anti-peoples’ bills into law; one of which is the bill seeking to elongate the tenure of office of the 23 local government council chairmen of Rivers State whose tenures are expected to elapse in a few weeks’ time, without considering the views and opinions of the generality of Rivers people.
“We state that any bill that seeks to elongate the tenure of office of a public office holder, who was democratically elected into office is a public interest bill, and thus, requires the conduct of public hearing so as to entertain the views of the people. We are aware that these 23 council chairmen were elected into office for a term of three years.
“Therefore, the act of these 27 members in trying to extend their term in office during the subsistence of their tenure through the instrumentality of a draconian law runs contrary to democratic principles, and thus, is an abuse of the power of law making.”
“Lawmakers are expected to make laws for the generality of the people and not for a selected few. We advise these 27 members and whoever that is supporting them, to allow the Rivers State Governor to concentrate on delivering good governance to the people of Rivers State, and stop disturbing the peace of the state, otherwise, they will be considered as threats to democracy and humanity.
“And the United Mission for Rural and Urban African Community Empowerment will work with the international community towards placing visa ban on all of them and their families. If this action is not stopped, we will also do an international profiling to blacklist any crisis actors in Rivers State.”
Fabeke, however, warned that if the attack on Governor Fubara was not stopped, the organisation would take every necessary step that will affect the politicians involved in this crisis in the next 10 years.
“If the threat against the government of Rivers State is not stopped, the organisation will take an international/legal action that will affect the politicians involved in this crisis in the next 10 years.”
