…Urge Rivers People to rise against anti-Democratic Forces
By Amos Odhe
Stakeholders, traditional rulers and ex-militant leaders from the Niger Delta region, under the aegis of Citizens for for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (CSDND), have described as “evil machination” an alleged plot “by some politicians” to remove the Majority Leader of the Rivers State Assembly, Hon. Edison Ehie, and the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The stakeholders condemned the alleged suspension of the Majority leader, signing of impeachment notice against Governor Fubura, and a reported tear gas attack by some unknown policemen on the state governor while on his way to assess the fire outbreak at the state Assembly complex on Sunday night.
The stakeholders, traditional rulers and ex-militant leaders, in a statement to in Port Harcourt signed by CSDND’s national coordinator, Chief James Okpara, said “It is also too early for political actors to engage in show of strength and ego clash that will throw the state into chaos.”
According to the group, “it will be a shame to witness crisis for Gov. Fubura, who has just spent only five months in office, to be confronted with this magnitude of coup d’etat against the Rivers State people.”
The CSDND argued that despite the fact that the emergence of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, who is an ijaw man, was welcomed by the majority of the stakeholders from the region, “the evil plot to destabilize the State House of Assembly and the executive arm in a battle for control is evil and should be widely condemned.
“The suspected dynamite explosion at the state House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt, suspension of the Majority leader and impeachment notice against Gov. Fubura is an indication that those behind the attack are desperate and are enemies of the Rivers people.”
The group also called on elders and political leaders from the state including the Minister of the Federal Capital territory, Chief Nyosome Wike, “to rise and intervene to put an immediate stop to the crisis rocking the state.
“It is wicked and embarrassing for the infrastructural and political achievements laid down by Minister Wike as a governor to be rubbished by those targeting to destabilise the state.”
The CSDND urged those “behind the evil plot to cease fire and allow governance to move on in the state, we call on progressive minded individuals in Rivers state to prevail on members of the State House of Assembly to desist from the wicked plot to cause chaos in the State.
“We also want to put it on record that former Gov. Wike fought for the people of the state and the people believed in him. And we want him to know that whatever the differences in opinion and ideology are, Wike and Gov. Fubura must reconcile these differences immediately and move the state forward in the interest of the people and the region.
“It is also of note that whatever is happening in Rivers State is a clear determing factor to the rising profile of Minister Nyosom Wike. The sky is the limit for Wike therefore he should not allow such minor political issues to drag him down. The people of the state and the Niger Delta region are looking up to him to do the right thing.
“No state has witnessed such chaos being planned so early in an administration, the people of the state should stand behind their state governor,” they said.