1 month ago
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By Daniel Abia, PORT HARCOURT
On September 18, the democratic valve successful Rivers State volition bask a reset pursuing the expiration of the six months exigency regularisation declared by President Bola Tinubu connected March 18, 2025.
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The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike had hinted that aft the August 30 section authorities elections, the seashore was present wide for the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu and the 32-man House of Assembly to instrumentality to their work posts.
Since 1999, Fubara is the 3rd politician to vacate his spot implicit exigency regularisation aft Joshua Dariye (Plateau, May 2004); and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti, October 16, 2006). On May 14, 2013, past President Goodluck Jonathan declared a authorities of exigency successful Borno, Yobe and Adamawa implicit insecurity arising from the Boko Haram insurgency but the governors and lawmakers retained their seats.
Like those earlier him, who returned to their seats aft the exigency rule, Fubara is expected to instrumentality to the Rivers Government House, adjacent week amid immense expectations.
Ibas’ policies
Currently, galore Rivers radical are disenchanted with the methodology of Rivers Sole Administrator, SOLAD, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas(retd), claiming that helium had been arrogating to himself law powers helium did not have.
Ibas had sacked and appointed members of boards, agencies and parastatals, which his critics said were against the laid down instructions dished retired to him by President Tinubu erstwhile helium was sworn successful without recourse to the interaction of specified decisions connected the payment of the people.
Ibas came nether terrible attacks erstwhile helium budgeted N24billion, N30billion and N23billion for CCTV installation, gunboats and contingency respectively portion the metropolis of Port Harcourt retrogressed from its pristine presumption of a plot metropolis to a garbage city.
LG polls
More than thing else, his behaviour of the August 30, section authorities elections successful the authorities which saw the All Progressives Congress, APC, being declared victor of 20 and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, declared victor of 3 of the 23 chairmanship seats leaves truthful overmuch to beryllium desired astir the relation of the subject officer, whose statesmanlike little was to reconstruct bid successful the state.
Dr. Jackson Omenazu, Chancellor of International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights, ISSJHR, said during his tenure, “Ibas stood constitutionality connected its head. His supervision of the August assembly elections marked 1 of the darkest chapters successful Rivers antiauthoritarian history.”
According to the rights activist, “The radical of Rivers State abandoned polling units successful soundless protest, arsenic results were pre-determined and each assembly president was already known earlier votes were cast. Such a charade not lone stripped the process of credibility but besides formed superior uncertainty connected Ibas’ impartiality and committedness to the antiauthoritarian order.”
Also, a cleric and erstwhile president of Pentecostal fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, and the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Apostle Eugene Ogu, said determination was nary azygous task going connected successful Rivers State nether the sole administrator. “Is determination immoderate task going connected successful Rivers State? Everything is stalled due to the fact that determination is nary government. The authorities has been connected suspension.”
On the LG elections, helium asked rhetorically: “Where has a subject idiosyncratic ever organised an predetermination successful a democracy? Whatever they did successful Rivers State, the tribunal indispensable reverse it someday. It does not substance however agelong it takes. The tribunal indispensable find a mode to expunge that messiness from the past of the state.”
Also, erstwhile media adjutant to past Governor Nyesom Wike successful his archetypal tenure, Opunabo Inkor-Tariah said erstwhile the sole head came to Rivers, helium said the authorities was peaceful contrary to nationalist opinion. When helium started to inspect projects, helium said those projects were bully projects and were astir 80 percent completed.
“Those were Governor Fubara’s projects. Now the question is, which task did Ibas initiate and embark upon contempt the billions of Rivers State wealth that has been frittered distant nether his watch!”
According to Inkor-Tariah, “Vice Admiral Ibas volition relationship for each kobo helium collected fr...
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