Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum has described as a contravention of the constitution, which President Bola Tinubu swore to uphold.
The Forum, led by former Rivers State Governor, Chief Rufus Ada George said on Tuesday that the eight-point resolution announced at the end of Monday night’s meeting of the state’s stakeholders with President Tinubu “unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by virtue of an attempt to reverse a court order recognising Rt. Honourable Edison Ehie as the Speaker, and directing that the remainder of members of the House of Assembly constituted the quorum for legislative business”.
One of the resolutions of the meeting with the President is that “the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party)”.
The Forum said that the “directives to the parties were one-sided in favour of Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and at the detriment of the Governor, Siminialayi Fubara and the good people of Rivers”.
The full statement: “Rising from an emergency meeting of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum held 19th December, 2023 in response to the intervention and directives of the President, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the current political crisis in Rivers State.
“We recall that in our communiqué of 17th and 18th December, 2023, we urged Mr. President to intervene in the political crisis in Rivers State, for which we commend his prompt intervention between Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Sir Siminialayi Fubara, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, but we are at a loss as to whether his intervention has solved the problem or escalated it.
“A review of Mr. President‟s directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State showed that:
1. The directives contravene the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which Mr. President swore to uphold at all times. The directives unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by virtue of an attempt to reverse a court order recognizing Rt. Honourable
Edison Ehie as the speaker and directing that the remainder of members of the House of Assembly constituted the quorum for legislative business.
2. That the directive also contravenes the hallowed doctrine and practice of separation of powers, particularly as it affects the responsibility of the judiciary. CAN MR. PRESIDENT OR THE EXECUTIVE ARM OF GOVERNMENT OVERRULE THE DECISIONS OF COURTS OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION? This portends executive rascality, which undermines our constitutional democracy, rule of law, and good governance.
3. The directives to the parties were one-sided in favour of Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and at the detriment of the Governor, Siminialayi Fubara and the good people of Rivers State.
4. In the eyes of the law and due process, as evidenced by the Rivers State High Court decision, that the Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and his team have ceased to exist in the state House of Assembly, having defected to another political party, and therefore can not be reinstated and remunerated through the back door
5. It is the duty of the Executive arm of Government to provide accommodation for legislators in a constitutional democracy as exemplified by the FCT Minister with respect to the National Assembly. It is therefore, hypocritical to suggest, that the Rivers State House of Assembly under Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule could sit anywhere of their choice, whereas in Abuja, it is the FCT Minister, on behalf of the executive arm that provides accommodation for Federal Legislators. The very reason why the FCT Minister was referred to as the “LANDLORD OF ABUJA‟ by Mr. President at the presentation of the 2024 budget.
6. The directive to re-present the budget passed and signed into law is a clear attempt to ridicule and denigrate the office of the Governor and the good people of Rivers State including the Judiciary.
7. In public administration parlance, a person can exit service either by resignation, sack, voluntarily retirement, or death. It is therefore preposterous for the President to direct that the people who have exited service for personal reasons be re-absorbed.
8. The Forum enjoined all responsible citizens of Rivers State to rise up in this our moment of truth, to salvage the soul of Rivers State. Our fathers fought for the creation of Rivers State. We will stand to defend it. “When injustice and criminality become law and a way of life in the polity, resistance becomes a duty”.
9. Finally, the Forum condemns in its entirety the directives for the resolution of the political crisis in Rivers State. Nigeria is a constitutional democracy where only the courts can order
the reversal of acts done or carried out under the provisions of the law.
“Therefore, any resolution or directive that intends to undermine the principle of separation of powers and the rule of law is unacceptable, null, and void and will be resisted, using all constitutional means at our disposal.
“Long live Rivers State and her People.
“Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Signed
His Excellency, Chief Rufus Ada George, CON, GSSRS
H.E Alabo (Dr) G.T.G Toby, KSC, DSSRS
H.E Ibim Princewill
Rear Adm O.P Fingesi (Rtd), OFR
HRH, Alabo Emeritus Prof Dagogo Fubara
HH, Anabs Sara Igbe
Ms Annkio Briggs
Aseme Alabo Prof. E.T Bristol-Alagbariya, JP, KSC
Senator Andrew Uchendu
Dr. Kalada Dick Iruenabere
Prof. King N.O Nyenke
