Rivers State Administrator, Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, says the elite, elders and religious leaders failed the state by not acting proactively to end the face-off between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.
Ibas said instead of being neutral, many of them took sides and fuelled tension in the state.
He laid the blame just as stakeholders under the aegis of Social Action (SA) Nigeria called for urgent resolution of the face-off that resulted in imposition of a six-month emergency rule on the state and appointment of Ibas as administrator of the state in March by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The administrator spoke during a public lecture to mark the 58th anniversary of the state in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
The lecture titled ‘Rivers State, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: Search for Sustainable Peace and Opportunities for Development’, highlighted the state’s journey and the urgent need to overcome political divisions in the state.
Lamenting the negative impact of political conflicts on governance in the state, the administrator called on the indigenes, particularly political leaders, to embrace forgiveness, reconciliation and unity for peace to be fully restored in the state.
Ibas reflected on the state’s struggles for identity and self-determination since its creation in 1967, saying Rivers emerged as Nigeria’s second-largest economy with a $28.4 billion Gross Domestic Product(GDP) and over 40 per cent of Nigeria’s onshore crude oil production.
The administrator added in a statement by the Senior Special Adviser to the state government, Hector Igbikiowubo, that despite the achievements, political conflicts had strained institutions, eroded trust and undermined governance.
‘’This is not the Rivers State we dreamt of. It is not the legacy our forebears fought to build, and it must not be the path we continue to walk,” he said.
Ibas praised President Bola Tinubu for intervening to prevent anarchy in the state.
Administrator to defend budget before National Assembly joint committee
The Senate said in Abuja on Tuesday that Ibas would defend the state’s 2025 budget of N1. 48 trillion before the joint National Assembly Ad-hoc Committee Overseeing emergency rule in the state.
It, however, did not state when the administrator would appear for the defence of the N1. 48 trillion budget forwarded to the National Assembly by President Tinubu five days ago.
The Senate assured Nigerians of its determination to ensure that Rivers people “are not short-changed due to the declaration of emergency rule by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18.”
Stakeholders seek early resolution of crisis
At a summit on ‘Building Stakeholders Resilience for Sustained Accountability and Development in the Niger Delta,’ in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, SA Nigeria said the Federal Government and political leaders needed to resolve the political crisis in the state with utmost urgency and fairness.
It said the emergency rule in the state should ‘’not become a pretext for authoritarian control’’ but ‘’a short-term measure with a clear plan to restore elected government and the rule of law.’’
The group also advised that ‘’the root causes, godfather interference, disloyal security apparatus, breakdown of legislative independence in the state must be addressed head-on.’’
It warned that “If Rivers democracy collapses, it would set a precedent that could unravel democracy across Nigeria.’’
The summit organised by the organisation in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation brought together, various stakeholders and civil society groups to proffer solutions to corrupt practices hindering Niger Delta’s development.
