Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader has written an open letter to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, tasking him to wade into the political crisis rocking Rivers state before it escalates into a full-blown anarchy.
The elder statesman said the letter became imperative after the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ordered the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Clark, Ijaw national leader and the Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF while raising the alarm over the implications of this order stressed that the IGP needs to urgently look into the matter to prevent the crisis from spiraling out of control and potentially destabilizing the entire country.
Addressing journalists at his Asokoro residence in Abuja on Tuesday, the Ijaw leader urged the IGP to immediately look into the impeachment threat on Fubara by Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led State Assembly, said to be loyal to Nyesom Wike to prevent anarchy in the state by stopping the members of the House of Assembly from parading themselves as lawmakers.
The Leader of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF explained that by section 109 (1g) 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, the 27 lawmakers ceased to be members of the Rivers State Assembly following their announced decision, decamping to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He urged the IGP to call to order the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and stop them from parading themselves and issuing provocative statements to intimidate and increase tension in Rivers State which may one day burst into open conflagration.
Clark, a senator of the 2nd Republic who expressed his concerns over the situation, noted that it poses a significant threat to the peace, stability, and unity of the country, just as he warned that the recent unprovoked announcement by the Speaker and 26 former Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly might cause a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, with far-reaching consequences for the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
Clark’s letter reads in part: “I have decided to address this letter to you as a senior citizen and Elder Statesman and I have served my country for over 70 years and I will be 97 on the 25th of May.
“I therefore must pray to the almighty God at all times for the peace and stability of our great country. We owe it as an obligation to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Government which will be one year on the 29th of May.
“We must therefore condemn and prevent any action by any individual or group of individuals that would threaten the peace, stability and unity of this country.
“We have no other country to go to if there is any uncontrollable crisis in the country and this is the main reason why I have been involved in the looming crisis in Rivers State between the former Governor Nyesom Wike who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the current Governor, His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara which is spreading like wildfire and every attempt by Mr President to resolve it amicably has not succeeded.”
Clark warned, “The recent unprovoked announcement by the Speaker and 26 former Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly might cause a breakdown of law and order in Rivers State, and the consequences of such crisis will not only affect Rivers State politically, socially and economically but will also affect the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
“We have enough of such crisis of all dimensions in nearly all parts of this country already and we therefore prevent any more of such crisis.
“I had earlier advised and appealed to our President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call his Minister Nyesom Wike to order to avoid this looming crisis and that the interest of the entire country should supersede the interest of an individual or a small group of people otherwise the consequences will be disastrous.
“It is in this spirit I am addressing this letter to you as the Inspector General of Police who is in charge of the peace and stability of this country. You are therefore fully aware of the dangerous precarious situation we are facing today in this country whereby the people are no longer safe to move around, to go to their farms to feed themselves; I seriously warn that if the sanctity of the country’s constitution is not obeyed by its citizens, the consequences that will follow will be anarchy.
“The 27 former Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have automatically forfeited their seats in accordance with section 109 (1g) 2 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, which states; “g, being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another part before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;
“… 2, The Speaker of the House of Assembly shall give effect to subsection (1) of this section, so however that the Speaker or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of the member.
“Above all, section 1 of our Supreme Law i.e. the Constitution states, “sub1, This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on all authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
“You also have a duty to protect the constitution of Nigeria without which there will be no Nigeria.
“Mr Inspector General of Police, it is even more disturbing that these former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are carrying out their illegal activities under the cover of policemen in uniform on whom rest a primary duty to enforce the law. This must be very disturbing to you as it is to all responsible Nigerians.
“Finally, I sincerely appeal to you to use your office as head of the Law enforcement arm of the country to advise Mr President and other members of the National Security Council of which you are the center, to bring this show of shame to an end and spare Nigeria from being a laughing stock to the entire world.
“This is more so as Mr President and all of you swore to protect and defend the constitution of Nigeria, which now appears to be overlooked despite the glaring infringement being openly carried out in favor of one individual and his followers.”
Reports has it that the political crisis rocking Rivers State took a dramatic turn on Tuesday following a directive by the Rivers State APC Caretaker Committee (CTC) chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, who at a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the state capital instructed the State House of Assembly, led by Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, to immediately commence impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
Okocha, speaking during the press briefing said it became imperative to take steps to impeach Fubara following the remarks he made that the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the political crisis rocking the state was only a political solution and not constitutional.
It would be recalled that this comes after Fubara had lashed out at members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, saying they do not exist.
Fubara, who spoke at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday said the Peace Accord he signed with his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, was political, hence he can derecognize them as lawmakers.
Fubara said the lawmakers are existing based on his recognition which is predicated on the Peace Accord initiated by Tinubu.
He said: “Those groups of men who claim that they are Assembly members are not Assembly members, they do not exist. I want it to be on record. I accepted that Peace Accord to give them a floating home.
“That is the truth. There was nothing in that Peace Accord that’s a constitutional issue; it’s a political solution to a problem.
“And I accepted it because these were people that were eating in my house, these were people I had helped pay their children’s school fees when I wasn’t even a governor. So, what is the thing there?
“We might have our division but I believe that one day, we could also come together but it has gotten to a time when I have to make a statement that they are not existing.”Newdiplomatic
