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“Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it his own.” —Charles de Gaulle
By Cosmas Omegoh
Drama keeps on unfurling and unfolding in Rivers State every now and then, each throwing up its kind of wonder.
One of such bizarre developments in the state last week was the emergence of Victor Oko Jombo as factional Speaker of the state House of Assembly. Jombo is believed to be a henchman of the state governor, Siminalaye Fubara.
Last week’s outcome was seen as a fallout from the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Tony Okocha’s charge on the state APC lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.
Now, what Okocha told the lawmakers has continued to resonate, igniting actions, speculations and discussions.
One of such speculations was Governor Fubara’s charge on Jombo to step up and assume the Speaker of a three-man factional assembly. Perhaps that was his own way of adding a twist to the Rivers spectacle.
The PDP whose lawmakers, the Rivers-27, are at the centre of the debacle with their claim of defecting to the APC, told Okocha that his charge remains an exercise in futility.
Now, the general feeling among trend watchers is that Okocha’s call opened another chapter of political abracadabra and chicanery which have continued to characterise Rivers State’s politics.
And what is more, Okocha’s outburst had significantly added to the avalanche of crises precipitating Rivers’ political space, stalling its peace and threatening its foundation.
Now, here is the solid truth everyone knows. The crisis in Rivers State is rooted in the dog fight between Governor Fubara and his estranged political godfather, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Both men are currently squared off in supremacy battle for the soul of the state. And sadly their snowballing fight has continued to violate the political sanctity of the once serene state, leaving stakeholders in the Rivers project divided along the Wike, Fubara camps. Sadly still, there is no clear indication at the moment that this self-made crisis will go away soon.
It is common knowledge that the Rivers’ challenge took its dramatic turn when the 27 lawmakers elected on the platform of the PDP revealed their intention to dump the party to join the APC.
Upon making good that decision, the legislators have neither looked back nor allowed Fubara any inch of space to breathe.
On many occasions, the lawmakers had called the governor’s bluff, vetoing him seven straight times, by passing their legislation into law without recourse to his accent.
Some experts suggest that the legislators’ act is not totally an aberration, as there is constitutional ground for them to so when the need arises.
However, some other experts contended that vetoing the Executive is a rare development, and in the case of Rivers, it is not the grundnorm. They believe that what is going on and the scale are simply source of concern.
Then taking the argument further, they added that the turn of events in Rivers State signals a bad omen which underscores the vivid reality that enormous crisis still looms over the state like the proverbial Sword of Damocles.
Everyone understands that the Rivers 27 draws its oxygen from Wike who is allegedly using the members to fight a proxy war against his ‘rebellious godson’- Fubara.
That was why the lawmakers collectively declared their intention to dump PDP in solidarity to the FCT minister. So, taking the gauntlet, they dug into the trenches prepared for the big fight. And as it stands, they will not drop their ammo until Wike tells them to do so.
However, the lawmakers should not forget in a hurry that a thick cloud of controversy still trails their much self claim to have exited the PDP.
In the eyes of many, including Governor Fubara, the Rivers-27’s claim is a nullity.
But experts are insisting that the governor has to first get the court to say so before what he believes in can truly be so.
But a clearly frustrated Fubara will have none of that as he has continued to rue the damaging actions of the lawmakers to his administration. And so he reasons that the lawmakers’ place in law is non-existent as long as their purported departure from the party did not follow due process.
But many have interpreted the Fubara outpouring as ventilation by a governor held by the jugular on all sides. And he wants to free himself at all costs by deploying every trick in his bag.
But while engaging the issues, some observers believe that Fubara gave away hints that he is the baby governor and political neophyte his traducers believe he is, fearing that he is yet to sit back to understand the nuances of government and governance.
Based on the foregoing, some of the governor’s friends and foes alike seem to agree that he is failing to understand the elementary principles of the levers of power: the Executive, Legislative and the Judiciary and how each one works in tandem with the principle of Separation of Powers.
That is why till this hour, Fubara is getting the sticks for his perceived slip which leaves many wondering how he appreciates the issues on ground from his long days as a civil servant until he became a governor, which they believe should have impacted his understanding of the issues at stake.
However, there is no wishing away the fact that Fubara now has a mind of his own, and certainly knows the right road to take well enough contrary to what his critics want the world to believe.
Already the Rivers-27 led by Martin Amaewhule as Speaker and Major Jack as Majority Leader, have continued to urge their colleagues to remain unfazed about the governor’s vituperation, which they believe was misguided. They believe there is no legal powers in any legal book enabling him to see them as non-existent.
It was based on that Fubara’s believed misstep that Okocha last week urged the APC lawmakers to press on with the governor’s impeachment, a development the PDP laughed off as vain.
Last week, the PDP reminded all and sundry that “the lawmakers claiming to be APC members lost their seats after their defection from the PDP, the political party platform on which they were elected into the House,” quoting Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
It is on this note that some persons have issued a verdict that Okocha’s call on the Rivers-27 to impeach Fubara was a clear overdrive which does not leave room for sustainable peace in the oil-rich state.
Okocha a writer and cerebral fellow majored in Philosophy. He is said to have also studied Conflict and Crisis Management and Resolution, as well as Company/Community Relations.
He is also a product of both Wike and Rotimi Amaechi’s political dynasties.
He is Wike’s kinsman (Rumuigbo in the same Obio/Akpor LGA, but served Amaechi as Chief of Staff. He had earlier served Wike (then Obio/Akpor LGA chairman) as Executive Assistant.
The times beckon on him to backtrack and use his good offices to seek a lasting political solution to the crisis engulfing the state like mystery fire. He needs to see the raging conflagration as a self-serving one that will do no Rivers resident any good. It is also worthy of note that although efforts at impeaching Governor Fubara sounds musical to the ears, yet it possesses the character to ignite fire akin to anarchy and unleash mayhem on the long-suffering people. And when the chips are down, everyone might be counting losses in multiple folds.
