Following the political crisis rocking Rivers State and the call by the All Progressives Congress, APC, chairman in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, for the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers, a group, Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thoughts, CORSLOT, is now calling on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to arrest him for questioning.
Also to be arrested according to the group is Nwanosike Samuel, former Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
Convener of the group, High Chief Sunnie Chukumele while briefing newsmen on the state of affairs of Rivers State said the crisis rocking the state was an articulated script being played out by 21 local council chairmen whose tenures ended on the 17th June, 2024 as an option to hinge onto power through the laws made by the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly which elongated their tenure by six months.
CORSLOT argued that had the purported law to elongate the tenures of the council chairmen being passed by the former Assembly where Amaewhule held sway as Leader,the crisis bring experienced wouldn’t have arisen, stressing that the law favours only some powerful individuals.
He said: ” The script is just being echoed by the call by Chief Tony Okocha for a state of emergency to be declared in our dear state. Also, is the vituperations of Dr. Nwanosike Samuel,the immediate past Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area who has been a mouthpiece of the destabilizers of Rivers State whose penchant for denigrating the office and person of the State Governor has become a trademark and it is unacceptable to Rivers people.
“We call on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu to immediately arrest Chief Tony Okocha and Dr. Samuel Nwanosike for questioning based on their conflagrative statements and activities which has been widely publicized.
While further lambasting Okocha for the state of emergency call, Chukumele said those making the call want to use that as shortest way to remove the governor.
“It is shameful for Tony Okocha to call for state of emergency which they feel is the shortest way to remove the governor from office. CORSLOT condemns that pitiable call. There is no situation in the state warranting such call. They are acting a script which God will forbid them that it happens. States that have had serious crisis nobody called for such but only in Rivers State that an illustrious son is calling for the destabilization of his father’s house,” he said.
The group accused lawmakers loyal to the Okocha-led faction of the APC of being responsible for the crisis in the state through the amended local government law they passed.
CORSLOT also called on the National Judicial Council to look into the activities of judicial officers in Rivers State as conflicting orders and interpretations on thorny issues have become the order of the day.
” This development is giving away the hallowed reputation of the Nigerian Judiciary. We want to advice that the judiciary should save Nigeria the embarrassment of a social disorder arising from what the vast members of the public will see as misjudgements or miscarriage of justice and so we call on the NJC to reprimand erring judicial officers found culpable in compromising the image of the judicial institution,” the convener said.
The group also urged President Bola Tinubu to wade in by urging the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike to rein in his political henchmen in the state, stressing that the development in the state could be counterproductive to the economy of the country especially the oil and gas industry describing the crisis as an onslaught against the government and people of the state.
The body used the opportunity to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct elections into vacant constituencies in the state such as Khana Constituency 2, and Ahoada East Constituency 1 while also calling on INEC to takeover conduct of local council elections in the country.
CORSLOT further commended the calmness of the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara for his calmness in the face of the provocations and distractions caused by the crisis and for taking urgent steps to fill the vacuum created by the exit of the council chairmen through the appointment of Caretaker Committees.
To avoid a reoccurrence of the current crisis, CORSLOT advised political godfathers to copy the President Bola Tinubu example in Lagos.
