Very belated emergency rule declaration in Rivers state, by Kola Amzat

Eventually, the long-awaited declaration of Emergency rule in Rivers had come to pass!  It’s indeed long overdue! The chickens have come to roost!

Nigerians would vividly recollect that this writer in a Piece titled “Imminent Emergency Declaration in Rivers State” about six months ago had sternly alerted that, there was no way the state could escaped the disruption of democratic governance, with the way and manners the suspended governor, Siminalayi Fubara was behaving like a loose cannon, terrorizing the 27 elected assembly members, demolishing the House of Assembly, that he bluntly refused to rebuild until he was swept out of office, and running the state affairs like a one-man riot squad, as well as completely alienating the legislative arm of government from governance.       

Who does that and won’t get punished! Who attack democracy brazenly with such gusto, so much effrontery and impunity like that and wouldn’t paid for it! That’s what Fubara did for the better part of his 2 years tenure as governor and his suspension was a paid back!   

Thankfully, President Bola Tinubu bowed to the voice of reason by suspending him, his deputy, Ngozi Odu and all the elected members of the state house of Assembly. 

They’re all together suspended for initial period of six months, with Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) nominated to take charge of the affairs for the period the elected officers would be in suspension.

There is no modicum of doubt that the suspended governor stayed for so long in office at the behest of the president, who perhaps on account of his unassailable political credentials and gargantuan political experience opted to give Fubara and the contending parties LATITUDE, expecting a rapprochement and that, orderliness would prevail, until when it became apparent to the president that he would eternally waited, if he indeed expects the curtains to be drawn on the political logjam in the state.

The president deserves huge commendation and applause for his fatherly role, discerning heart, thoughtfulness, deep thinking and helicopter view that have been the hallmarks of his governance style in handling the very sensitive affairs of the state till date, most especially, in jettisoning for months, the views and opinions of quite a number of public analysts across the country, including this writer, and many other well-meaning Nigerians clamoring for emergency declaration in the state, until when he got absolutely convinced that, that’s the way to go.

Keen followers of political developments in the country as they unfold, are not in doubt that the dramatis personae in the entire political impasse had himself to blame.

It’s indeed in the public domain that, when this matter seemed getting out of hand some 8 months ago, the president summoned the contending parties to Abuja, the seat of power, essentially to intervene and broker peace. 

The president was not compelled by any provision of the constitution whatsoever to do so. He just opted for that out of his own volition. 

The president ONLY needed to abide by the provision of 1999 Constitution, as amended by wielding the big stick.    

At the end of that meeting, “10 point resolutions” were mandated by the Commander-in-Chief for the contending parties to jointly implement to ensure peace. 

Wike and his men implemented theirs. On getting to his base in Rivers, Fubara was crowded by the agents of democracy and those who were bent in destroying him, to jettison the implementation of his own part of agreement. 

They were reportedly to have encouraged him to take fully charge of Rivers, while the president takes charge of the nation. 

It’s also reported that some well-meaning Nigerians and quite a number of resounding voices in Niger Delta zone made valiant attempts to mediate, with Fubara always claim to be absolutely in charge of the state. 

And, he thinks the president was happy with his display of arrogance, effrontery and executive rascality!

For the period he governed the state, Fubara also took delight in constantly disobeying the judgments of courts, preferring to always interpreting those written judgments, through the prism of his Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, to suit his purpose.

Readily come to mind in this instance, was the court judgment that halted the conduct of Local Government Election. He and his Attorney General twisted the judgment. 

Of course, the suspended governor headily went ahead with the election; the unfortunate development that was trailed with carnage, destruction of life and properties of immeasurable proportion.

Of late and in his moment of grandstanding, the governor also indulged in provocative and reckless pronouncement that, he’s ready to quit the office anytime and that, vacating the office is not amounted to vacating the universe.  

It’s also instructive that, the Apex Court recently adjudicated on several layers of cases brought onto the court by contending parties, with its pronouncements that, the 2025 Appropriation Bill must be passed by the reinstated members of the assembly and the validly elected Speaker of the House of Assembly be reinstated. 

It’s however tragic that, as at the time of drawing curtains on his tenure, 2025 Appropriation Bill, the centre-piece of that judgment had not been passed. 

Meanwhile, the last straw that broke the camel back was the suspended governor’s total indifference and completely maintaining a DANGEROUS SILENCE to the threats of some Niger Delta hoodlums to vandalize oil pipelines within that region, if the governor is impeached. 

Indeed, it was also reported that the hoodlums made good of their threats by vandalizing pipelines, with the governor carelessly and unpatriotically watching.

How would he now continue to be the governor of the state in view of his careless and unacceptable attitude of allowing this level provocation and mindless attack on the treasure of the nation, of which he was one of the frontline leaders?

As far as this writer is concerned, Simi Fubara has eloquently proved that, he’s an accidental leader, with huge leadership deficiency, and doesn’t whatsoever, deserves to continue to be in that exalted office in the first place.   

His suspension served him right, as this is a warning to his ilk that leadership of our nation at any level, is for big-hearted, matured, nation-centric, discerning hearted, patriotic and purpose driven individuals, and not for those who just emerged from the blues.     

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.