Stop this madness in Rivers

IF the ongoing macabre developments in Rivers State proves anything, it is the fact that Nigeria’s political class hardly cares for anything other than its partisan, selfish interests. The state is gradually being turned into a war zone following the conflict between the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. The conflict has apparently degenerated into a proxy war between the governor and his supporters and disparate individuals and groups loyal to his erstwhile boss. Despite Governor Fubara’s directive, many of the ex-local government bosses whose three-year term expired on June 17 attempted to resume duty at the council secretariats, but were driven away by angry youths. There is palpable political tensions across the state.

Last week, amidst the political violence that engulfed the state, the Rivers State police command confirmed the killing of a policeman and a vigilante group operative at Eberi Omuma in Omuma Local Government Area of the state. It therefore placed the councils under lock and key, preventing the temporary structure put in place by the state government from running the councils. According to the spokesperson of the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the move was meant to forestall further killings and the breakdown of law and order. On Monday this week, 21 out of the 23 ex-council bosses led protests in their respective council areas. This action followed Governor Fubara’s  directive to the heads of local government administration to assume control of the council areas pending the conduct of fresh local government elections in the state. On Tuesday, a man suspected to be one of the protesters detonated an explosive device around a five-star hotel, the Hotel Presidential, where members of the National Assembly were lodging.

Reacting to the incident, Governor Siminalayi Fubara  claimed that the failed bomber’s action was meant to strengthen the calls for a declaration of a state of emergency in the state. Speaking on Wednesday while receiving a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its Chairperson, Orji Kalu, at the Government House, the governor claimed that the failed bomber targeted the hotel where the senators were lodging in order to strengthen the call for the declaration of a state of emergency in the state.  He was reacting to the call by  the chairperson of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Tony Okocha, last week, on the Federal Government to declare  a state emergency in the state following the outbreak of violence.

To put it mildly, the developments in Rivers State are shameful. They represent the upending of democratic tenets to score cheap political points. The fact that the state risks descending into anarchy over the tenure of LG chairmen, a matter that is as clear as day, is distressing to say the least. Going by the law, the tenure of the protesting LG bosses is already expired, and they cannot validly rely on the extension of their tenures by factional members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to perpetuate themselves in office. That extension has been invalidated by an order of a State High Court and unless and until set apart by a higher court, that pronouncement remains the law. That being the case, it amounts to an utter provocation for the ex-chairpersons to seek to precipitate violence by trying to cling to office. That is a terrible development that must be condemned by all and sundry.

Just how can supposed democrats treat the lawful order of a  court with contempt, clinging to an amendment that has been declared null and void and of no effect whatsoever? The law as it is, warts and all, provides for a three-year term for local government chairpersons. Of course, ideally, local governments ought not to be captured under federal law, but that is the situation at the moment. Local governments ought to be under the purview of states, run by the revenue generated from their areas of jurisdiction, and not relying on federal allocations to survive. That is why we maintained in previous editorials that what is paraded as local governments in Nigeria at the moment are, properly speaking, far from ideal. In spite of this, however, they still have to be run in accordance with the extant law, at least until there is a constitutional change. Besides, given the pernicious practice of desperately clinging to office by all means, fair or foul, we must ask what the ex-Rivers LG bosses left behind in office that they are still looking for since their tenures expired.

We call on the Federal Government, the Rivers State government and the security agencies to ensure that a climate of peace prevails in Rivers State.  The law is clear on how to deal with the prevailing situation in the state and it must be followed to the letter, otherwise the state risks descending into chaos, further compounding the security challenges with which the country has to grapple. While we are not interested in whatever disagreement subsists between Governor Fubara and other political camps in the state, we reject any attempt to circumvent the rule of the law in the state. Court orders are meant to be obeyed, not toyed with. If the ex-LG bosses feel very strongly about their position, the proper thing to do is to wait for the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal. At the moment, they have no business being anywhere near their former offices, or parading themselves as LG bosses.

The people of Rivers State need the dividends of democracy, not anarchy. Governor Fubara and his political antagonists must refrain from utterances and actions that can be construed as promoting violence in any form. When the people of Rivers State went to the polls in 2023, they did so to better their lots. That is what has to be done.

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