A former lawmaker who represented the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Olaka Nwogu, has shared his thoughts on the reasons for the political turmoil in the state.
Speaking during an interview on ‘Sunday Politics’, a programme on Channels Television, Nwogu asserted that the rift in the state can be traced to the consequence of leaders failing to stand by their word.
He maintained that the failure of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to adhere to the agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu was the cause of the crisis.
He said, “I think basically what’s happening, as unfortunate as it is, there’s a consequence of when leaders do not keep to their words and their commitment.
“There was initially a first agreement that President Bola Tinubu brokered. Because of lack of adherence to that agreement by the governor of the state, the agreement packed up.
“They said the President had no right to do that, even though we all subjected ourselves to that agreement that has the eight point plan.
“Events that developed out of it culminated even in the Supreme Court judgment that there’s no governance in Rivers state and Mr President had to impose the state of emergency to save the state from descending into anarchy.
“After the emergency, or during that period, there were discussions across the state to find political harmony.
“And when the leaders amongst ourselves agreed, we all took ourselves to Mr. President and again, another understanding was brokered, which Mr president was like a guarantor to that understanding.
“The reason you see what is happening in Rivers state is strictly the lack of adherence to agreement. You cannot govern a place like Rivers state if you are not capable of adhering to the commitments that you make. It’s a complex state.”