The Coalition Of Rivers State Leaders Of Thoughts (CORSLOT) has called on President Bola Tinubu to wade into the state’s political crisis by calling the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, to order.
COSLOT made the call on Thursday in Port Harcourt at a press conference addressed by its National Convener, High Chief Sunnie Chukumele, saying the call was necessitated by the needless political conflict that is snowballing into anarchy and anomie in the state.
The group also called on the FCT minister to rein in political foot soldiers in the crisis, while insisting that the onus of making peace and creating the atmosphere of a tranquil political atmosphere in Rivers State rests on his shoulders.
“Our son, the FCT Minister can be said to be sufficiently linked to the unabated political crisis in his home state, Rivers State. The situation created in our dear state is unacceptable, regrettable, and has consequence of throwing the state into an irredeemable crisis of unimaginable proportion.
“We call on our son the FCT Minister once more, to rein in his henchmen and foot soldiers in the political crisis in the State, particularly the recalcitrant wing of the State legislature loyal to him, and as well the immediate-past local government chairmen whose activities in the State are become felonious.
“The distractions on the governor and government of the State is unacceptable and no longer tolerable.
“Where this call fall falls on deaf ears, we, on behalf of the entire peoples of Rivers State, home and abroad sternly call on the president, who our son Nyesom Wike is serving under in Abuja, to call him to order henceforth. And that we say that enough should be enough,” the group said.
It urged President Tinubu not to sleep on the political imbroglio in the State to dispel the suspicion of conspiracy theory, adding that “Mr. President needs the generality of Rivers people, and not one strong man. Rivers State have many strong men.”
Highlighting that Rivers State is strategic to the Nigerian hydrocarbon industry which accounts for the larger percentage of the country’s foreign revenues, Chukumele lamented the “seeming suspicious attitudes of relevant security agencies who ordinarily should be proactive and upbeat on the continuously degenerating political situation with its attendant consequences, if not mitigated with the urgency required. “
It further noted that the situation in the state has regrettably regressed to where it was before the presidential intervention with the reemergence or resurgence of the Martins Amewhule House of Assembly who on Monday July 8, ordered the Governor Siminalayi Fubara to represent the 2024 Appropriation Bill to it.
“This situation which came on the heels of the ruling of a Court of Appeal on matters before it which interpretation the Martins Amewhule group see as favouring them, and threatening impeachment should Gov. Siminalayi Fubara fail to represent the said budget within 7 days.
“As elders and thoughts leaders, we cannot undermine this monstrous development, as an African adage says that it is bad for an elder to watch a goat give birth while tied to a stake,” the group noted.
The Convener called on security agencies including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Police, the Department of State Services and Defense Intelligence Agency to be upbeat and proactive on the emerging realities in Rivers State with its consequential negative impacts in the entire Niger Delta and Nigeria’s fragile oil economy, reminding that, “a stitch in time saves nine.”
It also called on the Inspector General of Police to through his Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, order the immediate protective barricades on the Local Government Council offices in the State, following the declaration of the Court terminating the tenure of the immediate-past local government chairmen whose elongation were ruled as illegal, null and void.
The Rivers leaders also asked the United Nations, European Union, the African Union, ECOWAS, the Commonwealth and the British government to be upbeat and proactive to wade into the impending catastrophe which it noted that the Rivers State political imbroglio may likely cause, if not urgently curtailed.
The group also sent a stringent call on Amewhule and his colleagues to jettison the idea of impeaching the Governor Fubara, advising that “the impacts of the consequence of their threats should only be imagined.” “We refer them to the Shakespearean play, Julius Caeser. Let Amewhule and his colleagues not ignite a fire they can never have the capacity to contain. They are inviting anarchy.”
The judiciary is implored “to employ and apply extreme wisdom on matters concerning Rivers State brought before them,” adding that “the National Judicial Council should as a matter of urgency, save the image of the judiciary by also taking cognizance of impact assessment on matters the Courts are handling concerning burning issues in Rivers State.”
Finally, Governor Fubara is encouraged not to lose focus in the discharge of his constitutional mandate and that of the overwhelming majority and peoples of the State in the delivery of good governance for the people of the State.