The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rivers crisis

  • Rivers commission may question injured lawmaker in London

    The Judicial Commission of Inquiry looking into the crisis that engulfed Rivers State House of Assembly last month may visit London to hear from one of the lawmakers, Micheal Chinda, who is recuperating in a hospital there.

    The Chairman of the commission, Justice Biobele Georgewill, who gave this indication in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, said “when necessary, we may visit London to hear from the injured lawmaker because we want to be fair to all the parties.”

    Georgewill also said the job of the commission would not be complete if the views of both parties are not taken hence the visit to London would be necessary.

    Earlier during the inaugural sitting of the body in Port Harcourt on Monday, the chairman had said that there would be no sacred cow in its report, saying it is out to find a lasting peace in the assembly.

    He said that every person found culpable “no matter how highly or lowly placed would be apportioned blame and relevant recommendations made.”

     

     

  • Rivers crisis: Lloyd in court, pleads ‘not guilty’ to charges

    Rivers crisis: Lloyd in court, pleads ‘not guilty’ to charges

    The Majority Leader of the Rivers House of Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge levelled against him.

    Lloyd was arraigned before a Port Harcourt High Court on a six-count charge of attempted murder, conspiracy, wounding, assault, and malicious damage.

    The Judge, Justice Latan Nyordee, said the plea of the accused could be taken on the ground that he had been properly arraigned before court.

    Nyordee said the earlier oral announcement of the Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Nwogu Boms, taking over the case was premature.

    “Now that the accused is properly arraigned, he could take his plea,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Lloyd pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge preferred against him.

    The Attorney-General of Rivers announced his appearance and took over the case.

    The Police Counsel, Mr. Donald Demwigwe, told the court that since the accused had been properly arraigned and his plea taken, he was not opposed to the attorney-general taking over the case.

    Mr. Beluolisa Nwofor, Counsel to Lloyd, said that he had applied for his bail through a motion on notice which the court graciously allowed him to argue.

    Nwofor later told journalists that he argued a motion for his client’s bail because all his offences were bailable and he (Lloyd) had been in detention beyond the number of days allowed by law.

    But the Rivers Attorney-General said that he wanted the counter affidavit filed against the bail of the accused to be struck out.

     

  • Rivers ‘crisis: There will be no sacred cow – Commission

    The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the crisis that engulfed Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) on July 9 and 10 has said that there would be no sacred cow in its report.

    The Chairman of the commission, Justice Biobele Georgewill, who said this on Monday during the inaugural sitting of the body in Port Harcourt also said that every person found culpable “no matter how highly or lowly placed shall be apportioned blame and worthy and relevant recommendations shall be made.”

    To achieve this, Georgewill said that they would rely on concrete evidence to make recommendations that would bring lasting peace to the assembly irrespective of whose ox is gored.

    He also said that “heavens would never fall merely because justice was done in any given situation but rather even the heavens would rejoice when we unearth all the true circumstance and facts leading to this crisis and make all relevant recommendations to redress the crisis.”

     

     

  • Rivers crisis: Amaechi opens up on feud with First Lady

    Rivers crisis: Amaechi opens up on feud with First Lady

    In a no holds barred setting, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State ,yesterday opened up on his long-running battle with the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.

    He traced the feud to her visit to Okrika during which, he said, the First Lady publicly chided him.

    But he said he is ready for peace “if it is peace that everybody wants.”

    The governor spoke in Port Harcourt while receiving a delegation of Niger Delta Bishops who are trying to resolve the political crisis in the state.

    The Bishops had,visited Mrs.Jonathan last month, during which she stated her own case.

    She said on that occasion that she regarded the governor as her son and would not wish him evil.

    But the governor, responding on that point yesterday, said: “No mother takes away a police commissioner to the detriment of her son.So when next you see my mother (First Lady),please tell her she should try and protect her son.”

    It was a veiled reference to the role of the state Police Commissioner,Mr.Mbu Joseph Mbu,in the crisis.He has been accused by the governor and observers within and outside the state of taking sides with the forces against the governor,including Mrs.Jonathan.

    The governor also spoke on his disagreement with his former aide and current Minister of state for Education,Mr.Nyesom Wike.

    The Bishops were led by the Rt. Rev. James Aye Oruwori.

    Following is the transcription of Amaechi’s speech at yesterday’s meeting as made available by his media team.

    “My Lords, I don’t know what to say, believe me.The only thing I want to say to you and I want to be put on record that the wife of the President said when my wife came to beg me, I pushed her away.

    “I have never quarrelled with my wife publicly, and I will never quarrel with my wife publicly. So there is no time I pushed my wife away, and there is no time I will push my wife away.

    “I just want to correct that so that nobody goes away with the impression that somebody told my wife: ‘go and talk to your husband.She came and I pushed her away’. No, that day I simply walked away into a bus and I sat down until they finished.

    “So, all I did was go back to the bus to enable my wife perform her official function as someone who had received the wife of the President and escort her to all the places she wanted to go to.

    “I hope that it (this mediation) will work. Niger Delta Monarchs came and no result came out of it and since you are men of God I hope that this one God will bless it. I hope so, because that is the same way I spoke to them (the monarchs) and they said, ‘watch out, it will work’, and they never returned because it never worked.

    “There are so many persons who had come to mediate but nothing came out of it. If it is peace that everybody wants, I am ready for peace. When you say you are seeking for permission, I am wondering why, because if you did not have the permission you would not have gone to see the wife of the President.

    “The mere fact that you have seen the wife of the President means that you have initiated the peace move, so you don’t require any further approval than the approval of God that you have started with.

    “There are aspects of the story that is public that I need to correct. Lord Bishops, please allow me correct those ones too because when you spoke with the wife of the President she spoke publicly. She said and I concede to her when she said she is my mother.

    “As wife of the President, who is the head of government and head of the nation, she is my mother and you expect that as my mother she should be able to protect her son. No mother takes away a Police Commissioner to the detriment of her son.So when next you see my mother, please tell her that she should try and protect her son.

    “The other aspect is the Okrika story when she visited. As I said, as the governor, by protocol I will receive the President and you know that the President is not just our President, he is the head of the nation but when the wife of the President came I went to receive her at the airport and she slept in Port Harcourt .

    “The next day she came up with a programme that was not part of the official programme, and what was the programme? She wanted her people to receive her in Okrika. There was no plan; there was no protocol arrangement, nothing.

    “We just had to quickly arrange protocol to take her to the place. But to do that we wanted to also show her, as part of her own programme, not our programme, was to show her the projects we had done in Okrika. So we took her to the Rufus Ada-George Ring road in Okrika which we started and completed and then somewhere we saw a health centre and a primary school and I said stop, let me show her this health centre.

    “We looked at the health centre and we were satisfied. At the primary school, there were houses around the primary school too close for comfort; no football field, no playground, no space at all around the school and I turned to the wife of the President and said ‘Your Excellency Ma, we have not finished with this building, we would buy the houses that are surrounding the primary school and demolish them’.

    “Once she heard the word ‘demolish’, the wife of the President flared up and took the microphone from me and started all sorts of diatribes that I won’t mention here for the respect I have for the office of the wife of the President.

    “When she finished, I felt that it is wrong to confront the wife of the President publicly. When she finished, I withdrew and walked into the bus. When we got to the ground of the reception which was not part of our programme, which she just included herself, I came down from the bus and went to sit in one of the primary schools. That is where she said my wife met me and I never and will never… How did the wife of the President know that my wife met me and I pushed her away when she was supposed to be in a public ceremony. Was she standing with me and my wife in that primary school and saw me push my wife away?

    “So it is important that you get to know this and it is important that the public knows that the altercation between myself and the wife of the President was as a result of providing services in her place, the Okrika people because you must deal with the issue of paedophiles.

    “If you build a primary school and the place is surrounded by people who are cooking and selling and buying, that is not a conducive atmosphere for learning and we did not say we would come there with caterpillars and demolish.We say we would buy the houses from the people and pay them off to be able to get a football field and provide playground for the children and fence off the school so that we can protect them from paedophiles.That was what happened.”

    On the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, the governor said although he was under pressure from the President to drop him as a ministerial nominee, he refused.

    His words: “I heard you also visited Nyesom Wike. I try not to talk about Wike. I say so because he is my subordinate. I try not to talk about him but I heard you visited him.

    “Why I won’t talk about him is that Nyesom Wike, his second tenure as Obio Akpor Council Chairman was by the grace of God but I was the architect of that second term. Nyesom Wike was appointed Chief of Staff by me. Nyesom Wike as a Minister of State, I nominated him.

    “I was under pressure by the President to drop him, I refused. The President persuaded me to drop him and bring a woman but I refused.

    “ I heard he is going all over town saying I didn’t appoint him, I didn’t appoint him, the President appointed him but I nominated him to be a minister as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum. I did but you know, character doesn’t come easily, character is a very difficult thing and I am a man of character.”

    Earlier, the leader of the delegation, the Rt. Rev. James Aye Oruwori said they were in Government House because they needed the governor’s permission to intervene in the prolonged crisis in the state and the dispute between the governor and the First Lady.

    He said they took the challenge to intervene in the crisis without external influence, having also visited First Lady to restore peace to the state.

    Bishop Oruwori said: “Our coming is not influenced by any person.Our coming is not sponsored by any person but because in a home where there are fathers, peace is always maintained and because we have observed that there have been some challenges to the people of Rivers State, then to the entire Nigeria, we feel agitated in our spirits.

    “It is not an exaggeration to say that we have been praying but then prayer without faith is classified as dead and it is on this note we have taken upon ourselves to make a move to seek for peace.

    “The scripture says precisely in Matthew 5:9 that ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God”.

    “The best thing to do, we felt is to first of all come to you and to say we would want to intervene in this matter believing that there is nothing impossible with God.

    “We just feel that if this matter is allowed to escalate, the matter is something that will not affect only we that are living but even our children that will be born tomorrow”.

    During her own meeting with the Bishops last month,Mrs Jonathan had also admitted that the her feud with the governor started during her Okrika trip.

    She said: “This matter started as far back as four years ago at Anyugubiri in Okrika when I begged him not to demolish a part of Okrika but (that he should) dialogue first with the people.

    “After that incident, he called the chairman of Okrika (local government) and sacked him for holding a reception in our honour; that boy was the first victim.

    “He also put my people under curfew for nine months. I called him and pleaded with him but he refused. Then I began to hear all sorts of propaganda in the media against me; this is not the way.

    “I’ve never spoken about this issue but as men of God, I believe you’ll say the truth always because there are a lot of conflicting interests; some will hear one thing and say the exact opposite.

    “I also want you to know the genesis of this problem and pray that God touches Amaechi’s heart as per his hot temper because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

    “I appeal to Amaechi to sheathe his sword so that we can defend our state and this country with love, unity, patriotism and truth at all time. “Hebrews 12:14 urges us to embrace peace with all men without which; we cannot see God. “Amaechi is my son; I cannot fight him, and I cannot kill him.

    “He shouldn’t be used by outsiders against his own blood because this seat is vanity. One day, no matter how long it takes; we will leave this seat. Power is not forever.

    “This seat is vanity; others sat here and left .So one-day I’ll also leave, and we will meet at home; so why should I fight him?Let’s calm down, face issues, leave non-existent matters, stop magnifying lies and respect our leaders and people in authority. Let’s give peace a chance.

  • Rivers crisis: Anti-Amaechi group plots to truncate governor’s peace talks with Jonathan

    Rivers crisis: Anti-Amaechi group plots to truncate governor’s peace talks with Jonathan

    The anti-Amaechi forces at work in Rivers State are getting uncomfortable with the ongoing peace talks between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    They are worried that reconciliation between the two could threaten their own political future and sources say the individuals concerned are at work to derail the peace talks.

    They are said to have mapped out a six-point agenda to put their plan into effect and sway the President from any peace pact with the Rivers State governor.

    It was gathered that the anti-Amaechi forces have been meeting in Abuja and Port Harcourt since penultimate Friday after the wife of the governor, Mrs. Judith Amaechi received the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt Airport.

    Some of those at the two sessions included a former principal officer of the National Assembly, some members of the factional PDP Executive Committee in Rivers State , some legislators, ex-militants and former political appointees in the state.

    They resolved to circulate fake posters of Sule Lamido-Amaechi 2015 presidential ticket across the country; seek a court injunction in Abuja to remove Amaechi from PDP; instigate incessant protests in Port Harcourt; induce indiscriminate arrest of commissioners and the 27 pro-Amaechi lawmakers; procure and induce violent and cult activities in order to cause insecurity in the state; and ensure that they produce the state’s slot in the NDDC with ex-Deputy Speaker Austin Opara, Boma Iyaye, Emeka Noeke as possible nominees.

    A reliable source said: “The forces against Amaechi have been unsettled since the reconciliatory talks between the President and the governor/the five Northern governors began last weekend.

    “They lamented at one of their meetings that they might lose out if the peace deal is sealed. This is why they have designed six plans to stall the peace moves.

    “Some of them openly lamented when they saw the wife of the governor, Mrs. Judith Amaechi receiving the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan last week.

    “Shortly after Mrs. Amaechi received the First Lady in Port Harcourt , the anti-Amaechi forces summoned a meeting to re-strategize and stop the reconciliation moves.

    “They are just determined to upset the peace talks because of the disposition of the President to reconciliation.”

    A source in Amaechi’s camp said: “We have got wind of the plot, they do not want reconciliation.

    “We thought what they were doing was to support Mr. President. If so, why don’t they want Amaechi to settle with Mr. .President? It is obvious that they have a different agenda for Rivers State outside Mr. President’s good intention.”

  • Rivers crisis: Majority Leader blindfolded, tortured, says counsel

    Rivers crisis: Majority Leader blindfolded, tortured, says counsel

    The detained Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly,Mr.Chidi Lloyd, is undergoing a regime of torture in police custody,his counsel, Mr. Beluolisa Nwaofor (SAN), alleged yesterday.

    Lloyd was clamped into detention on Tuesday after reporting at the Police Headquarters, Abuja.

    He had been declared wanted by the police on the grounds of attempting to murder a fellow member of the state Assembly, Mr. Michael Chinda, one of the five anti-Amaechi legislators who stormed the House on July 9 to impeach the Speaker and install their own choice.

    He has since been facing a panel of police interrogators and was flown to Port Harcourt yesterday ostensibly for the commencement of his trial and the hearing of the suit he filed to restrain the police from inviting and arresting him.

    The day ended without the police arraigning him in court or the suit being heard,his lawyers,friends and associates having waited for several hours in court.

    Mr. Nwaofor said yesterday that Lloyd was blindfolded shortly on his arrival in Port Harcourt from the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

    He told the state High Court, presided over by Justice Esor Teetito,which is hearing Lloyd’s suit that the continued blindfolding and detention of his client is dangerous to his health and life.

    He appealed to the court to make an interim order for his release pending the hearing of the motions before the court.

    Mr. Nwaofor wondered why the police failed to bring Lloyd to court on the suit filed by him.

    His words: “The applicant was brought from Abuja this morning (yesterday) by the police blindfolded and now being detained at the Police Officers’ Mess here in Port Harcourt.

    “Based on the rules governing fundamental human rights, the court should make an interim order for his temporary release pending the decision on the suit. This is necessary because the safety of my client cannot be guaranteed in the hands of the police.You are aware of what is happening now. Anything can happen before next week.”

    A member of Lloyd’s legal team, Mr. Emenike Ebete, who accompanied the detainee to Port Harcourt from Abuja threw light on Lloyd’s ordeal.

    Speaking to reporters at the end of the court’s sitting, Mr. Ebete said: “We reported to the IGP on Tuesday. We held a meeting with the IG and the DIG. My client, Chidi Lloyd, turned himself over to the police at the Force Headquarters.

    “They treated us with respect.We were with them for about four days, and they did their investigation.Late yesterday (Thursday) we were told that he would be charged to court this morning (yesterday) and we left Abuja as early as 7am. By 8.45am, we landed at the Air Force base, Port Harcourt.

    “Thereafter, there was a signal that the place was not safe, and that we should hold on. That was when I started smelling rat.We waited for over two hours, after which we were asked to go.

    “Over 500 policemen in their Hilux vehicles and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) were all over the place. At a point when we started moving, we stopped for over 30 minutes; they said they were waiting for another vehicle.

    “At the end of the day, we got to the office of the state Commissioner of Police(CP), Mbu J. Mbu. My client emerged from the Black Maria. He was brought in with a black blindfold, as if he is a common criminal. He walked into the CP’s office, and they spent about three minutes.The CP then drove off to where God knows.

    “Later we went to the Police Officers’ Mess where we were waiting for his charge sheet to be prepared, so he could be brought to court.Since 12noon, we have been waiting. Till now, that charge has not been filed.

    “What that means is that they are going to keep him there throughout the weekend. I am not even sure if they will even charge him to court on Monday.

    “What that means now is that he will remain in their custody, exposed to all sorts of inhuman treatment. His life is even in danger. We are not sure if he is going to survive because this place is not safe for him.

    “I am calling on everybody to know that our client (Chidi Lloyd) is in the hands of Rivers State Police Command unsafe.

    “We brought him from Abuja to be charged today (yesterday); his charges are ready. The prosecutor came with us from Abuja.Uptill now 5:10 Pm, the charge has not been filed.

    “I smell rat, not from the Force Headquarters, but here in Rivers State Command.

    “We are calling on Rivers people to know that this is what is happening in the state now.If tomorrow Chidi Lloyd is no more there, the police should be held responsible.

    “Abuja Headquarters treated him with respect; he was never brutalized there. It was only when we came here that the whole event changed.”

    Asked why the police chose to focus on Lloyd, Ebete said: “In the entire fracas, he was the only person invited, and he appeared there (Force Headquarters) and made his statement.

    “What happened there at the House is a bailable offence; it is simple assault which the police could even grant bail at the station. Why is it that this one is generating a lot of tension? It is not murder. So why is it that his own is different more so when it happened on the floor of the House?“

    Meanwhile,Lloyd, in his claims before the court, said the incident for which the police wanted him took place in the hallowed chambers of legislators, adding that he was protected by immunity under section 21 of Legislative House Powers and provisions Act.

    He urged the court to grant him the order against the police.

    However, the defence said while legislators enjoy certain immunity by reason of their office it is not every action on the floor of the House that is covered by immunity, and that the offence for which Lloyd is being held enjoys no immunity.

    They urged the court to dismiss the suit.

    The judge adjourned the matter till August 6 for ruling on the two motions.

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon. Dakuku Peterside, yesterday condemned the alleged torture by the police in Rivers State of Lloyd.

    Peterside, a supporter of Governor Amaechi,claimed that the detainee “has been consistently abused by hitting, battering, pushing, kicking, handcuffing and uttering of obscenities, thereby demeaning him all in a bid to coerce and compel him to obtain an involuntary extra-judicial confessional statement.

    “This torture sadly is taking place at the Rivers State Police Command.

    “For the records, let us state that section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, prohibits this crude and barbaric conduct of Commissioner of Police of Rivers State as every citizen of this country is entitled to respect for his human dignity and Mbu does not have unbridled power to deprive any citizen of this constitutionally guaranteed right, especially in a democracy.

    “This is not only condemnable but regrettable. Rivers State Police Command under Mbu seems not to be bothered by the fact that any evidence that is obtained by force, torture, intimidation or by any form of abuse is not admissible in the court of law, and this is unfortunate”.

  • How to resolve Rivers crisis, by Yoruba elders

    Crisis in any part of the country is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good. Yoruba political leaders are in a vantage position to clearly appreciate this. Major crises, which erupted in the geo-political zone in the First and Second Republics, led to the derailment of democracy. The long interregnum between 1966 and 1979 and 1983 and 1999 attested to the suffering of the people under the military rule.

    Former Military Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), who has reflected on the fate of democracy, which is being threatened by the protracted crisis in the Rivers State, urged the various parties to the dispute to reach a truce. He warned that popular rule is in danger, if the key actors refuse to learn from the lessons of history.

    Second Republic House of Representatives member Prince Tajudeen Olusi observed that the retired General’s advice was timely. “I want to direct the attention of our leaders to the warning being given by the former military rulers that democracy is being threatened and that we should learn lessons from the events in Egypt. It is still topical”, he said.

    Olusi, a former commissioner in Lagos State, chided the President for allowing the crisis to escalate. “The crisis is a manifestation of the incompetence of our President to handle important national issues and to address the turbulent issue at its infancy before it escalates”, he fumed. Decrying the role of the police, he lamented that the Rivers State Commissioner of Police has consistently detested the office of the governor, which he said was established by the constitution.

    “The tradition and the law is that the civil service and police must give loyalty to the constituted authority. It is a danger to democracy and an assault on democracy. Therefore, the answer, the solution lies squarely with the President of our country. He should call the police to order to ensure that the police performs its roles according to the constitution. The President and the PDP should stop misusing the police”, he added.

    Senator James Kolawole from Ekiti State shared the same opinion. He pointed out that, though the beginning of any crisis can be known, the end cannot be predicted. “If we are not careful, it will derail democracy. Both sides should be careful. If it is not properly managed, it can lead to unpalatable incident we do not bargain for”, he warned.

    The onus, said Kolawole, is on President Goodluck Jonathan to act as a statesman. Noting that the Rivers crisis is unfortunate, he warned that its elongation may produce negative implications for democracy. “If a solution is not found to the crisis, the consequence may be far-reaching for everybody”, he stressed.

    To Afenifere chieftain Chief Rueben Fasoranti, the President is facing a novel test of leadership. If he fails in this turbulent period, the nation may suffer due to any wrong step taken by him. The elder statesman urged dialogue, saying that delay could be dangerous. “The President should call a round table conference. The governor should also make peace now. The crisis must end. Both the President and governor are from the same area. Nigeria is bigger than the two of them. They must make peace quickly”, he advised.

    Second Republic Senator Ayo Fasanmi warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders were busy laying a foundation for anarchy, adding that the prospects of stable democracy is narrow. He warned against localising the Rivers crisis, pointing out that it has implications for the country. Describing the behaviour of the five legislators who attempted to impeach the Speaker as a tragedy, he chided the Presidency for taking sides.

    Fasanmi, who is the Deputy Leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group, observed that, though there are new dimensions to the crises, the genesis should not be forgotten. He pointed out that the governor has been exposed to ridicule by the police and other federal officials, who may have been acting the scripts of the President. He also blamed Dr. Jonathan for taking sides in a divisive issue, saying that it is wrong.

    “The crisis is a national tragedy. It is a mockery of the democratic principle. Somebody won an NGF election with a margin of three; you say no. If 36 governors cannot conduct a free and fair election among themselves, how can the PDP conduct a peaceful election in 2013? They are laying the foundation for anarchy. That is why I always appeal to the progressives not to sleep”, he said.

    Urging the President to rise to the occasion, Fasanmi said that he should not support a faction, to the detriment of the other faction. “This crisis is a sign of what to expect in 2014 and 2015. Progressives should be prepared for a rescue mission. The crisis and tragedy in Rivers should not be localised. It is a national crisis. Amaechi needs moral and political support, This is a bad omen for the nation”, he added.

    Another Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, hinged the crisis on the neglect of the constitution, rule of law, equity and fair play. He said that, if there is justice, there will be peace in Rivers State. “There will always be problem, if the constitution is not followed”, he remarked. But Adebanjo also warned about the consequence of direct interference of the federal government in the state affairs. He said that this is inconsistent with the principle of federalism.

    The Yoruba elder also pointed out that the politicians in Rivers State were swimming in moral crisis. “How can five legislators remove the Speaker? That was what Obasanjo was doing in Bayelsa, Oyo and Ekiti where the governors were removed. The problem in Rivers arose because powerful people were behind them. Amaechi has the majority on his side. You cannot remove him unconstitutionally”, he said.

    Former military governor of the defunct Western State, Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (rtd) said the crisis is worrisome. But he declined to comment further, merely saying: “It is politics. I am not a politician. If they come to me, I will advise them on what to do. I won’t speak to them on the pages of newspapers”.

    PDP chieftain and former Lagos State Deputy Governor Rafiu Jafojo submitted that the crisis has manifested the rot in the party. “There is no discipline in the PDP”, he said, advising the leaders to put their house in order. “They should instill discipline in the party. The Rivers problem can be resolved. You cannot solve it by removing the governor or fighting in the House of Assembly. It is undemocratic. This did not happen in our time”, he added.

    Jafojo urged the two divides in Rivers State to thread the path of law. Noting that the crisis is mainly between the President and the governor, he appealed to them to embrace truce in the interest of democracy.

    For Senator Olabiyi Durojaye, it is lamentable to those who fought for democracy that those who sat on the sidelines were now trying to truncate it. “The tail is waxing at the dog. There is no parliamentary precedent for the minority to impeach the Speaker. They should not kill democracy. We don’t want democracy to fall in Nigeria”, he said.

    Durojaye called for restraint and decorum on the part of the leaders to save Nigeria’s image. He recalled the United States President, Barack Obama, recently snubbed Nigeria during his visit to Africa because democracy was on the slide. “Obama excluded Nigeria from his visit because of the way we handle democracy in Nigeris. Everything we do is reported in other countries. I appeal for restraint by both leaders. The constitution makes provisions for impeachment, It can only be done by two-third majority”, he said.

    Oke-Ogun, Oyo State leader Chief Michael Koleoso described the persistent crisis as a malady, warning that both the President and governor were playing with fire. “The earlier they resolve it, the better. It is very painful. The President should use his position to douse the tension. The way things are going now, we are nit safe in this country”, he stressed.

    However, a Second Republic federal legislator, Hon. George Sadiku, said that the current development has confirmed the logic of politics and politicking. “What is happening now is one of the requirements of democracy. Conflicts and counter-conflicts will lead to the stability of democracy”, he pointed out. But he warned against allowing the crisis to impact negatively on the people’s welfare. “Crisis should lead to growth. That is the logic of politics”, he maintained.

  • Rivers crisis can truncate democracy, says Kalu

    Rivers crisis can truncate democracy, says Kalu

    Former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu at the weekend echoed the fear of former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar that the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis is capable of truncating democracy.

    Kalu urged President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene .

    Kalu spoke in London at the weekend at a reception in honour of Dr. Nkem Okonkwo, daughter of Senator Annie Okonkwo.

    The senator’s daughter bagged a degree in Medicine from the University of Cardiff, Wales.

    Kalu said at a time the younger generation was looking up to the country’s leaders, he was disappointed by the “barbaric, shameful and undemocratic act of some so-called honourable lawmakers of Rivers State House of Assembly.”

    He tagged the lawmakers “dishonorable lawbreakers”.

    He stated that the actions of the lawmakers are unpatriotic and urged the appropriate authority to sanction all those found culpable, accordingly to the law.

    Kalu said the rule of law is central to the survival of any nation, adding that the law should be applicable to all and sundry irrespective of social, political and economic status.

    He said: “The law is a respecter of nobody and until the system gives the rule of law its rightful place, no meaningful development will be achieved.”

    He noted that every Nigerian has a right to aspire to any position provided it is within the limits of the law.

    He decried a situation where leaders expend federal and state resources to fight themselves for selfish political interests and ambitions rather than focusing on governance.

    He also condemned the attack on Governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa) by persons believed to be hired thugs in Port Harcourt.

    The governors were in Port Harcourt on a visit to embattled Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

    He said the humiliation could happen to anyone, including the President if care was not taken.

    He noted that it was highly unfortunate that the governors could be stoned by miscreants, with no one saying anything.

    He said such behaviour without sanctions meant the right to freedom of movement is jeopardised and lawlessness is the order of the day.

    He lamented: “As long as the President remains silent on these happenings, justice will not prevail.”

    The former governor said the onus is on President Jonathan to intervene in the crisis in the interest of the well being of Nigerians by sanctioning the key players and actors appropriately.

    He advised the President not to allow some shallow minded and selfish politicians to derail him from fulfilling his promises to Nigerians.

    Kalu urged guests, who were mostly youths, to return home and not be discouraged by the challenges being faced in Nigeria.

    He charged them to contribute their quota by imbibing and upholding the good values of the society.

    He said: “We must work together for one united and indivisible Nigeria while strengthening our democracy.”

    Okonkwo, father of the graduand and Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC, the political party in formation, urged Kalu, who recently rejoined the PDP, to join the progressives by teaming up with the APC. But Kalu declined.

  • ‘Blame Jonathan for Rivers crisis’

    ‘Blame Jonathan for Rivers crisis’

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed spoke with reporter in Oro, Irepodun Local Government Area, Kwara State on the crisis in Rivers State. Correspondent Adekunle Jimoh reports.

    Rivers State has been embroiled in political crisis.

    What is your take on the development?

    What is happening in Rivers State should not be seen as a local matter. Even in a war, war starts on a very insignificant misunderstanding. But what is happening in Rivers State is worrisome in many respects because, it is clearly not manufactured in Rivers. It is manufactured in Abuja. It is a proxy war between the President on one hand and the Governor of Rivers on the other. And it has much to do with the perceived impression of the President that Ameachi would be a stumbling block not just to the party PDP, but his own ambition to run for a second term.

    Now, what is the genesis of the Rivers State problem? It started with the perceived role of Governor Ameachi in his position as chairman of the Governors Forum as being too confrontational. And that he is behaving as a unionist. But Amaechi’s defence was that he was speaking on behalf of his colleagues as governors. Issues such as the Sovereign Wealth Fund or the excess crude account or issue that border on federalism, Amaechi became the mouthpiece of the governors to advance their position against what they saw as the overbearing influence of the centre. But the presidency and the PDP saw that as being confrontational. That was what earned him a bad name in their book.

    The unending internal crisis in PDP, which has pitched the governors against the chairman of the party, is again, a sore point in the presidency. The governors as a block were unhappy when former governor Oyinlola was removed as the secretary of the PDP; they were unhappy also with the treatment Adamawa State Governor Muritala was getting. So they asked Amaechi to speak out their minds, which he did, that again, was counted against him.

    The disputed oil wells between Bayelsa and Rivers states, when Amaechi suddenly discovered that the funds accruing from this disputed wells, which was put in suspense account, had now been credited to the Bayelsa State government. Of course, he naturally got upset and he led the delegation of the elite in the state to go and complain to the President. Again, that didn’t endear him to the President. Overall, there is the issue of no love lost between Amaechi and the President’s wife, who also happens to be from Rivers state. On many occasions, there have been reports of his being snubbed by the first Lady. Matters came to a head during the Governors Forum elections. The presidency was very unhappy and uncomfortable and mounted a campaign against Amaechi’s second coming. Despite the fact that the PDP has a controlling majority number of 23 governors, when elections were held, Amaechi came tops and the President did not behave statesmanly.

    If the President had immediately issued a letter of congratulations to Amaechi, that would have probably given the image of a statesman, but he went the other way by recognising the Jang’s faction. That means he does not believe in majority rule, he does not believe in the rule of law.

    I think the humiliation that the President suffered from the Governors Forum that is now spiraling into what is happening in Rivers.

    How would you react to the role of the police in the crisis?

    We must be honest, the role the Police have played in this matter is condemnable. When you have a police commissioner that says the problem in my state is the governor, then you know that he must have had some assurances from somewhere else. So, when we in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), said put all the problems on the doorsteps on the President, this is what we were saying.

    There is no way the President can wash his hands off this matter. Unfortunately, Nigerians like compromises. Until the truth is told, that the President is behind the entire problem in Rivers, so long shall we have bitter crisis, not only in Rivers but elsewhere. What it translates to is that it does not matter whether you are 27 or 30 if you have just two or three who have the backing of the President and the police, they can make the state ungovernable for you.

    Is it true that IBB, Atiku and others are jostling to become BOT chair of the APC?

    The Nigerian rumour mill is the most active in the world. And it amuses me, when some stories make page one of headlines of newspapers. A party which is yet to be given its certificate of registration; a party which is yet to have permanent offices; a party yet to have its convention at which ward, local and state officials would be elected; a party that has not even got the guidelines for primaries election within and outside the party, how can that party, all of a sudden, now start talking about Board of Trustees (BoT). I think the alleged jostling by General Ibrahim Babangida, Abubakar Atiku and others for the BoT chair of the APC is a figment of the rumour peddlers’ imagination. The people you have mentioned so far, am not aware that they have indicated interest to join the APC. So, where will the issue of fighting for the chairmanship of the BoT come from?

    Do you think the registration of the APC is being delayed?

    In the history of Nigerian politics, there has never been a merger. This is he first time some political parties are merging. What we had before were alliances and cooperation. The implications of a merger are huge. The day your certificate is issued, names of all the merging parties would cease to exist. We have met all the requirements.

    How do you see the APC vis-a-vis 2015 general elections?

    The 2015 elections will not be about one party replacing the other or about one president being refundamental because it will be about how do we avert imminent civil war again. That is why the leaders of APC must be able to make the ultimate sacrifice to rescue Nigeria. In Nigeria today, there is a low burning war. The entire North-east is like it is not part of Nigeria. The insecurity in the Northwest is palpable. The ACN has restrained itself from making further comments on the Boko Haram insurgency because of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others’ mischief. They are quick to label us as an Islamist party. That is completely untrue. But as long as we are unable to address the root causes of Boko Haram, for so long will the solution elude us. We are not saying that there might not be religious overtones in the issue of Boko Haram, but bad governance, corruption and hardship has created a fertile market for Boko Haram.

  • Police and Rivers’ crisis

    In any democratic society, the police are the organ of government used for enforcing the law or maintaining public order or preventing and solving crime.  A major instrument or strategic devise that the police use to realize its law enforcement goals is its investigative powers.  The investigative powers of the police enable them to pry into any criminal matter, real or imagined.

    Equipped with its investigative powers, the police can invite anybody for questioning in matters related to the commission of crime.  The powers of the police to invite citizens for questioning are not even limited to cases directly reported to it.  The police can invite a citizen for questioning even for the mere suspicion of being a party to the commission of, or intention to commit, a crime. In fact, in Nigeria, the constitution grants the police the powers to investigate public officials who are even protected from criminal prosecution under the immunity provisions of section 308.

    However, just like every other thing in life, the investigative powers of the police are not absolute and open-ended. The police, for instance, do not have the right or power to investigate citizens on matters that border on their civil liberties which include the right to free speech and expression. Section 39 (1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) maintains that, “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference”. What this means is that an invitation to a citizen for questioning by security agencies on the basis of what he or she published in a newspaper is tantamount to an assault on the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    For the avoidance of doubt, the phrase “Civil liberty” is “a person’s right to say or do what he or she wants provided it is within the law.”  Of course, when a citizen says or does (writes, etc) something outside the bounds of the law, the issue becomes a libel case.  Now, the word “Libel” means “a false written or printed statement that damages somebody’s reputation or to harm somebody’s reputation by publishing a false statement”. Yes, once a published material slanders anybody or institution, it becomes a libel. However, a libellous material, cannot under any circumstances, become a criminal matter for police investigation.

    The truth is that in spite of the enormous investigative powers of the police in crime matters, the police cannot investigate a libel case. An aggrieved party in a “libel case” can only sue for damages, if the offending party refuses to retract a false statement or tender an apology to the party offended by a publication which veracity cannot be vouched for.  The position canvassed here holds because libel cases which originate from the interpretation given to a published statement or opinion by an aggrieved party can only be decided by the courts, not by the police. There is no provision anywhere in our statutes for the police to criminalize libel cases and investigate them.

    The issue in contention here is the published statement by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly that appeared as an advertorial in The Nation of Wednesday, May 15, page 12, titled, “Disruption of Democracy and Rule of Law – Anarchy Looms in Rivers State,” addressed to the President. Amongst other things, the advertorial pointed out that “the situation in Rivers State has reached a fever-pitch, as there are strong indications that the Governor; Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the legislators and prominent government officials have been marked for assassination, following series of reported nocturnal meetings held in the neighbouring state and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory  (FCT)”. This quoted paragraph of the advertorial probably captures the essence of the matter for which the Rivers State Commissioner of Police decided to invite the Rivers’ Speaker for questioning.

    However, a critical appraisal of the headline, including the phrases used in the advertorial, indicates that the Speaker was only drawing the attention of the public to the activities that have the potential of engendering anarchy in Rivers State and disrupting democracy in Nigeria. For instance, the use of the phrase “strong indications” in the advertorial only means a “suggestion that such incidents are possible or likely to happen” whenever the security details of the affected officials are withdrawn. There is nothing in the statements to suggest that the advertorial was reporting a definitive plot by some people to assassinate the Governor of Rivers State or other government officials, to warrant an investigation by the police.

    From the arguments made so far in this discourse, it should be clear, even to the uninformed that the advertorial in question was just an opinion expressed by the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the deteriorating state of security in Rivers State. It was not a report to the President or the police about the commission of, or intention to commit, a crime by some Nigerian citizens. It must therefore be the height of duplicity for Joseph Mbu, whose activities in Rivers State should be the subject of a presidential inquiry, to turn round and invite the Speaker for questioning, as if the published advertorial, on its own, is a criminal matter for police investigation.

    It is difficult to see how any rational mind could fault the contents of the published advertorial and successfully pursue a libel case.  For instance, where the advertorial suggested that there where plans to withdraw the security details of prominent government officials in Rivers State, as a prelude to their possible elimination, the evidence was all over the place with the reduction in the security apparatus of the Speaker and the withdrawal of the police guards attached to the Chief of Staff to the Governor and some local government chairmen. Who does not know that once the security details of government officials are withdrawn from them that they may be prey to violent attacks from criminal elements or even prone to assassinations?  And this was the point the Rivers State Speaker made in the published advertorial for which Mbu wants him investigated and prosecuted.

    Now, if the police that has the constitutional duty to provide security so that the state assembly can carry out its responsibility to the people have refused to do so, who does not know it may have to do with the fact that the Rivers State police command may be a party to the grand plan to ground activities of the state legislators until they recall the suspended Nsirim-led leadership of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area? And this, again, was the point the Rivers State Speaker made.

    In all honesty, the advertorial is simply an opinion expressed by the Speaker on the unfolding political and security drama in Rivers State.  It was not even a report to the President of Nigeria to investigate a matter.  In this wise, the police cannot deploy its investigative powers to invite the Speaker for questioning over a publication that he simply used to exercise his right to free speech or expression.