Fubara goes back to work, by Bolaji Adebiyi

Rivers State governor must focus on fulfilling his mandate, writes Bolaji Adebiyi

Siminalayi Fubara, the oil-rich Rivers State governor, resumed work on Thursday after a six-month suspension from office imposed by President Bola Tinubu. Also back at work are his deputy, Ngozi Odu, as well as members of the House Assembly. Lifting their suspension in a lengthy statement on Wednesday in Abuja, the president urged them to work together in the interests of their people.

The president’s call for peace and harmony is notable. The declaration of emergency rule in the state was costly for all the belligerent parties and stakeholders. Seen to have acted outside the 1999 Constitution as amended, the president was criticised by a host of human rights activists and opposition politicians, who argued that he exceeded his emergency powers by suspending the governor, his deputy, and the members of the House of Assembly. His justification that he acted to prevent the imminent breakdown of law and order in the state did not persuade his critics. He obviously does not wish to go through that barrage of attacks again.

None of the belligerents attained their goals from the conflict. Fubara’s godfather, Nyesom Wike, who is also the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and the House of Assembly members sought his removal. The declaration of emergency rule prevented this from happening. Fubara’s aim to overshadow Wike also failed. Reflecting on their fruitless attempt to undermine each other, they must have wondered if the six-month suspension they received was justified.

For the people of Rivers State, it was a total loss as Ibok-Ete Ibas, the retired Navy Vice Admiral appointed as sole administrator by Tinubu, was virtually absent despite the N1.5 trillion budget approval by the National Assembly. Of course, governance at the lower level was in abeyance due to the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, which prohibits funds from being transferred to councils without elected officials.

So, despite Tinubu’s appeal, all stakeholders must have recognised the futility of the conflict and agreed to work towards peace to enjoy the benefits of representative governance. Fubara, who was elected to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, must realise that he has the responsibility to do everything necessary to accomplish his mandate. He, therefore, needs to step back and make a realistic assessment of his capacity to sustain any power struggle.

Although it is tempting to resist an unfair or biased peace settlement, he must recognise that the events leading up to the declaration of emergency rule and the past six months clearly show the challenges he faces. If his goal is to serve, he needs to exercise great wisdom and go out of his way to navigate the complex political intrigues before him. After all, the privilege of office can only be used to benefit the people while in power, not afterwards.

However, the other power contenders should not exaggerate their capacity for mischief or their political influence at the centre, since the emergency rule could not be said to have exclusively benefited them. While everyone was asked to go home, a whopping N1.5 trillion was made available for spending. How much of this were they able to access? Yet, one of the privileges of power in a democracy is the ability to distribute patronage. While the disruption they caused subsisted, local council elections were held. How many of those elected came from their flank?

Meanwhile, the details of the peace settlement should be made public to promote transparency and uphold the people’s right to know. Currently, what is available in the public domain is speculative and can cause confusion or spread misinformation, which could lead to further resentment. For instance, it is speculated that Fubara has committed to serving his full term only and does not intend to run for a second term. It is also said that he is obliged to recall all the commissioners who resigned during the crisis.

Conditions like these may be perceived as a dictated and humiliating peace settlement unless their context is explained to his supporters, who may eventually pressure the reconciliation process. This will likely create a fragile peace that could collapse soon. So, transparency is necessary for the durable peace that the people desire.

More importantly, it is crucial to align the peace settlement with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended, to ensure its legitimacy. This approach makes it more acceptable to a wider range of people, who might otherwise oppose and obstruct it. For example, one ongoing issue is the legality of suspending the democratically elected institutions under the emergency powers of the president. As the president noted in his statement on the suspension of the emergency rule, the matter has become the subject of lawsuits in various courts. One of these was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party governors at the Supreme Court.

Although some senior lawyers have argued that the expiration of the emergency rule has rendered the suits merely academic, not a few believe that a judicial pronouncement is necessary to guide future occurrences. At the very least, it will clarify the position of the law and protect the polity from the rule of the strongman.

In the meantime, the political gladiators in the oil-rich River State should learn valuable lessons from the last six months of emergency rule, and moving forward, prioritise the interests of the people.

• Adebiyi, a fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, writes from Abuja.