1 month ago
9
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA- A conjugation of 70 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, connected Monday, urged the National Assembly to summon the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas (retd), to springiness an relationship of his stewardship successful Rivers State for the past six months.
The groups, nether the auspices of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, said the telephone had go necessary, considering that the mandate handed to Ibas aft the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by President Bola Tinubu would expire by Thursday.
“This is precise important, particularly erstwhile you see the information that funds belonging to Rivers State which were initially seized by the Federal Government, was released to the Sole Administrator aft helium was appointed. There is request for accountability,” the CSOs insisted.
More so, the Situation Room, successful a connection it issued to commemorate the 2025 International Day of Democracy, said it was disquieted that the federation is inactive grappling with systemic corruption.
“Today is not conscionable a time of reflection connected the authorities of ideology successful Nigeria but connected the authorities of the federation and provides an accidental to place areas wherever improvements are needed.
“Nigeria is astatine a important juncture successful its antiauthoritarian journey, having marked 26 years of antiauthoritarian regularisation this year, since the instrumentality to civilian regularisation successful 1999.
“In July 2025, the Situation Room released a study connected the ‘Current State of Democracy successful Nigeria’ wherever it noted that arsenic astatine 2025, ideology successful Nigeria inactive remains fragile, marked by organization weaknesses, electoral distrust, and nationalist disillusionment.
“Although immoderate advancement has been made, 3 cardinal principles that signifier the bedrock of ideology – taste values, governmental enactment and the electoral process – are being confronted by systemic corruption, increasing disillusionment and erosion of taste values.
“In addition, implicit the mates of months, we person seen systematic attempts to decimate governmental absorption and render our electoral process to beryllium a choiceless ballot for the voters.
“These tactics see state-sponsored infiltration and demolition of different governmental parties, harassment of journalists and punitive targeting of civilian nine organisations to marque it hard for them to freely run and determination to undermine the independency and autonomy of the predetermination absorption body.
“The existent State of the Economy presents immoderate paradox – portion the Government lauds itself for bold reforms including the removal of substance subsidies, which freed up funds for State allocations, infrastructure development, and fiscal restructuring, challenges persist.
“The state continues to conflict with inflation, a weakened currency, rising debt, and wide poverty, posing superior threats to economical stability.
“The nonaccomplishment of our ideology to present dividends to citizens, the failing nationalist work delivery, deficiency of societal amenities successful modular healthcare and education, expanding impunity arsenic good arsenic indiscipline successful nationalist concern absorption and accountability emphasises the beardown nexus betwixt ideology and poverty.
“The 2023 wide elections, contempt technological upgrades similar the BVAS, were marred by logistical failures, elector suppression, deficiency of transparency successful the predetermination results transmission and judicial controversies.
“Concerns implicit judicial independence, suppression of dissent, and weakened antiauthoritarian institutions stay prevalent.
“Situation Room continues to condemn the breach of the 1999 Constitution and the events that led to the declaration of the State of the Emergency successful Rivers State.
“This is not bully for our democracy; it shows Executive overreach and a troubling erosion of antiauthoritarian norms contempt calls from well-meaning Nigerians to halt the State of Emergency, ” the statement, which was jointly signed by the Convener of the CSOs, Yunusa Z. Ya’u, and 2 Co-Conveners, Franklin Oloniju and Mimidoo Achakpa, further read.
The station Rivers: 70 CSOs inquire NASS to summon Ibas to springiness account appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
English (US) ·