A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) South East Zone, Dr. George Agbakahi, has stated that the proclamation of state of emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and subsequent ratification of same by the National Assembly was the right thing to do in order to stave off total breakdown of law and order in the state.
He noted that the suspension of Gov Sim Fubara, his deputy and members of the State Assembly was necessary in order to pave the way for retrospection among the contending forces and for them to embrace concessionary means of peaceful settlement in the interest of the state and country at large.
Agbakayi, who is also South East Leader, Tinubu Support Organization during the 2023 general elections, while answering questions in an NTA current affairs programme, monitored by our reporter, stated that President Tinubu exercised the Constitutional powers of his office as enshrined in Section 305 of the Nigerian Constitution to stop further escalation of the crisis which was already leading to vandalism of national oil infrastructure.
The APC chieftain stated that emergency rule was not new in the country, citing previous declaration of state of emergency in Plateau and Ekiti states respectively under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states by former President Goodluck Jonathan during their respective administrations.
“You know as per the proclamation, I think Chapter 8 Part 2 and Section 305 of Nigerian Constitution made it abundantly clear that the president proclaim state of emergency in any state or even nation, and needs to send this gazette to the National Assembly so that they can vote on the proclamation.
“I think he did the right thing, it’s also left for the national Assembly to make amendments as they deem fit,” he said.
On the use of voice vote as against individual voting by members of the National Assembly while endorsing the presidential gazette declaring state of emergency, Agbakahi said every legislature across different democracies, including the United States of America, determines its mode of operation.
“So it (state of emergency) is not a recent phenomenon in my view. I think in this case we all know the genesis, every Nigerian knows the genesis of this current crisis.
“But I think the president in my opinion did the right thing by issuing this proclamation of emergency particularly when you consider the significance of Rivers State in Nigerian politics and economic life.
“If you go to the Niger Delta area, Rivers State is like the capital of the Niger Delta, Rivers State produces about 21.3 percent in terms of oil production.
“Go to Rivers state there are over 150 multinationals stationed in Port-Harcourt and environs. So I think it’s very important that Mr. President did this to forestall anarchy,” he said.
As to the task before the Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Agbakahi said: “I believe the sole administrator is a man of immense integrity who served this country well, I think in the navy and somebody that is well respected in the Niger Delta as a Naval Chief.
“What I really expect him to do is to remain neutral in the issues of Rivers State and also engage the contending powers there in order to fashion out a way to bring stability to the state, it’s very important.
“If he goes in there and starts taking sides that’s where we will also have problems, and like I said, if there are tendencies that there would be absolute peace and stability in Rivers State I suppose the president being someone that is very sagacious, may call this state of emergency off because he wants the best for Rivers State considering the significance of the state to the overall economy of Nigeria,”.
Insisting on the necessity of the emergency rule, the APC chieftain stressed, “Like I said over 95 percent of our revenue as a country comes from Niger Delta so if there is chaos in that place, there was already a present danger of instability in Rivers State and if the president hadn’t instituted this proclamation, truly in my view, the state House of Assembly would have tried to impeach governor Fubara.
“If you watch the political trajectory in Rivers State, they would have impeached him and there would have been chaos in Rivers State which will lead to economic misfortune of this great country.”
He said the Sole Administrator should work to maintain peace and stability and also ensure that governance continued in the state.
He said he can achieve this by forming a small cabinet or appointing aides under the supervision of the joint Committee of the National Assembly that performs oversight functions.
Agbakahi said that most importantly, the dramatis personae in the Rivers imbroglio should embrace dialogue and work with other stakeholders to ensure return of peace in the state.
“I believe no matter what the National Assembly says or what the proclamation is, the issue in Rivers State has to be resolved by former governor Wike and Governor Fubara.
“They are friends, they are like father and son, they have worked together for the past several years. Both of them need to swallow their pride and come together for the benefit of Rivers people.
“For that I will call on all Nigerians, particularly indigenes of Rivers State, that we all search our conscience and reach out to one another in this proclamation of emergency in Rivers State and rededicate ourselves to democratic ideals of peace, tolerance, sacrifice and respect for individual as a source of public authority at this time and we all need to exercise self-restraint and respect for the rule of law.
“That’s the only way we can have peace and stability in Rivers State,” he admonished.