Rivers State Crises Update
A call to Action on Respect for; The Rule of Law, The rights of citizens and the sacredness of offices of Government, particularly, the office of Governor, office of Speaker, Commissioner of Police etc in the state by all including those who hold or have held such offices.
A Communique of Rivers Bridge Initiative.
PREAMBLE
The Rivers Bridge Initiative has emerged as a child of necessity, following disturbances in the Rivers State House of Assembly and Streets of Port Harcourt over attempts to impeach our Governor.
We are comprised of representatives of Rivers people’s electoral trust, drawn from all ethnic groups, political parties and all walks of life. We also have among our fledging membership, large numbers of people of non-Rivers origin, residing or doing business in Rivers State.
The Rivers Bridge Initiative, mobilized, consulted and convened series of meetings both virtually and in-person across the globe.
Over the events of recent challenges to the elected Government in Rivers State,
Representative Delegates to the organization’s meetings considered several issues, including proposals of forging themselves into a truly people’s owned and run Organization. Delegates reviewed the need to commit to and pursue a determination for defending democracy in its true meaning as, a Government of the people, constituted lawfully by the people, to cater for the welfare of the people.
In view of the above far reaching consideration, the organization reviewed the current and developing incidences in Rivers State affecting:
1. The Office of Governor of the State as manned by His Excellency The Governor Sir, Siminialayi Fubara.
2. The arson at Chambers of the Rivers State House of Assembly that has led to emergence of conflict and court cases over who is the rightful speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
3. The grave concerns delegates feel over the conduct of the officers of Nigeria Police, Rivers State Command that reflects gross abuse and misuse of lawful authority of Policing responsibility.
4. The most heartening response of the masses of Rivers People and residents reflecting the rise of democratic vigilance of our people against anti-democratic forces who are seeking to capture state institutions for Private uses and political empire building at the cost of collective interest and common good.
DELIBERATIONS
Background
1. The organization set the tone for its discussions on the need to base all considerations of issues on the principle of the Rule of law and decorous behavior, temperateness of spirit, moderation in judgment and pursuit of reconciliation for peaceful coexistence within a need to prioritize dignity and welfare of Rivers Peoples befitting of our character, pride and motives as a state.
The organization, however, noted that right and good must be separated from wrong and evil. The organization notes it will therefore without fear or favor stand against all moral and lawful wrongs.
2. The organization reminiscences with nostalgia the sacrifices of our forebears who defined, defended, protected and preserved our identity and dignity from pre-colonial times, through the colonial-periods and post-colonial times particularly leading to reclaiming our distinct place, dignity and identity, when the creation of Rivers State and the fight to keep Nigeria One were achieved.
Accordingly, the organization, aware of the great price paid by different generations of Rivers People through self-denial, loss of lives, struggle to reclaim its economy, neglect of their family obligations including duty to their children, our founding fathers, traditional and political leaders, women and youths fought to obtain freedom, pursued liberty and ultimately achieved sub-national autonomy, which had been lost to colonial and post-colonial influences, but reclaimed upon the creation of Rivers State.
This treasured State, is what we all enjoy today but it is endangered by emerging internal forces of State capture, made up of a few reckless politicians. The organization holds the view that Rivers Peoples must therefore rise to not only protect our great heritage and its rich legacy but contribute our quota as a generation to its redemption, restoration and advancement.
The Rivers Bridge Initiative notes that this is not the first time that our people have had to deal with attacks on the republican disposition of Rivers People by few high-minded autocrats, against the collective will and independence of our people, but Rivers people in different generations had in every dark hour of this state’s life, found leadership of frankness and vigor that had met with the understanding and support of the people which has been essential to victories won that is characteristic of Rivers people.
The Rivers Bridge Initiative feels reassured that this time again, the Organization will join wide calls from different quarters, to mobilize all citizens of Rivers State to rally for the common good of all; to protect our Government and our time tested resolve to preserve our value and culture of republican behavior. These Behavior continue to form our basis for democratically instituted government and our strength against certain primitive forces that seek to appropriate the Structure of the State as expressed in Offices of the Governor, the Legislative and Representative responsibility of House of Assembly officers, the Judicial integrity to preserve law, not excluding the Policing Function for law and order through clannish private structure of a few rogue elements that are against and excludes the peoples.
THE LAWLESS ATTEMPT TO IMPEACH THE GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE
1. The organization deliberated on the attempt to Impeach the Governor and held that though impeachment is an important legal process founded on criminal breach of trust, there must first be established a strong case of criminal abuse of trust by a person holding the office of Governor to warrant such impeachment. It is equally a matter of very serious concern to invoke this clause in our constitution. This must therefore always be done with a grave sense of sobriety and not out of reckless impunity intended for self-serving political gamesmanship by a bunch of empire seeking politicians.
2. Lawmakers on their part, as agents of their constituents in representative democracy answer to the people. They are therefore ordinarily expected to act with the highest degree of legal compliance and representative fidelity. This includes presenting a well formed case of claim in law and evidence to support such claims targeted at lawful removal of a Governor from office. The people must be carried along in the process to secure massive approval for such impeachment. However, barely Six (6) months into this administration and hardly without any evidence of such cases of gross misconduct, the River Bridge Initiative is not only alarmed but grieved to learn of what evidently appears as case of organized move at sustaining perverted and baseless ground in law to entrench and deepen a project of state capture by a clan of self-serving political elements who in cohort with certain members of the House of Assembly, initiated a move to reassert their faltering hold on State apparatus that appears set to be broken by a growing feeling among electorates that a more humane, humble and responsive Governor has taken charge and inspires hope for a truly people oriented culture of governance.
ABUSE OF POLICE POWERS BY OFFICERS OF NIGERIA POLICE FORCE, RIVERS STATE COMMAND
The Rivers Bridge Initiative in its discussions identified three (3) evident acts of use of police powers to advance partisan interest in abuse and violation of powers of police with lawless impunity. All this reflect a deep rut in the police system, an important agency that is to protect law and order. Being an organ of state for Horizontal Accountability.
1. The Rivers Bridge Initiative noted it was embarrassing enough that under the very nose of the Rivers State Police command Headquarters, which is relatively opposite the Rivers State House of Assembly, and the presence of Security and Intelligence Community with digital technology capabilities, the Chambers of the State House of Assembly was visited by arsonist and burnt-down using explosives. The police to this hour has failed to uncover these assailants in what may indicate some complicity or negligence of duty of the police at combating organized crime by politicians.
2. While the Rivers Bridge Initiative wonders how such persons could have gained access to the hallow chambers, we found on the next day, even more alarmingly, further potential evidence of police complicity, when the State’s Chief Security Officer, the Governor of Rivers State, right before the watching media world, marched through the most reckless display of lawless impunity by principal police functionaries.
Police authorities who should lead the Governor safe and secure, to inspect the scene of arson, turned weapons procured for protection of the state against the Governor as he attempted to visit the scene of previous night’s arson. They teargas the Governor, targeted and freely used Water Cannons at him and his entourage of concerned Rivers People, firing live ammunition intended to force the Governor to retreat from officially inspecting the burnt House of Assembly Chambers.
3. The Rivers Bridge Initiative also took note of the case of identifiable police patrol team and officers shooting and creating panic around the official residence of one of the disputants of office of Speaker and former Majority leader of the Rivers House of Assembly. The same police authority in the face of a subsisting court case disputing who is authentic speaker, provided security cover for a faction of the Assembly to hold a session.
The Rivers Bridge Initiative wonders what more can demonstrate police complicity and culpability than these events with potential for worsening the peace and stability in the state. The police by so doing continue to show themselves compromised as agents empowering crime as against its professional responsibility, evident in such brazen assault in the Governor and Chief Security Officer of the state and support for a faction of the House of Assembly and terrorizing one factional speaker and failing to provide lawful protection for citizens of Rivers State protesting lawless acts of impeachment.
THE JUDICIARY AND CASES BEFORE THEM
The Rivers Bridge Initiative considered the current response of the Judiciary to relate cases before it, noting that both the case of Injunctive restrains against Impeachment of the Governor and disputes over speakership of Rivers State House of Assembly are in their early stages. They have provided restrain of some sort and opened opportunities for politicians to rethink their action and quickly restore order based on Law. All are accordingly advised to obey lawful orders of the courts. The organization is therefore to keep a close watch on the Judiciary and politicians
THE RESPONSE OF RIVERS PEOPLE IN DEMOCRATIC VIGILANCE
Democracy and good governance crumbles when citizens fail to rise to the defense of laws, rights and demand accountability. The widespread response of citizens within and outside of Rivers State was considered as salutary.
RESOLUTIONS
The Rivers Bridge Initiative following these consultations, meetings and deliberations therefore makes the following resolutions;
1. That the Federal Government takes note that Rivers State holds the key to the stability and peace of the Niger Delta. Therefore any case or conflict that may affect the National Economy out of the Niger Delta are traceable to organize or spontaneous reactions of people that begins or sustains through Rivers State. The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces of the Federal Republic and Security Services are therefore strongly advised to urgently depoliticize this conflict, call its officers and political appointees to order and approach their intervention from a stand point of the Rule of Law and Governance in the Interest of National Socio-economic stability and progress.
2. That the Governor of Rivers State take steps to engage all stakeholders to find common grounds to move the state, forward deploying practical measures and wane himself and the office of Governor from any preferred political structures over the affairs and structures of State and in favor of the popular will of the people of the State.
3. That the Rivers State House of Assembly, urgently recover themselves from serving private political interests and use their elected positions to advance the interest of Rivers People effective immediately
5. That the Nigeria Police authorities, immediately take steps to restore confidence and professionalism in the Police, including sanctions and redeployment of characters that are now known symbols of abuse, impunity and partisan mis-use of police powers.
4. That The Rivers Bridge Initiative hail the awakening consciousness of Rivers People and the growing sense of democratic vigilance. Only active and viral pro-democratic social forces can best preserve State Structure and authority from capture by narrow partisan group interests.
5. Accordingly, The Rivers Bridge Initiative adopted the formal institutionalization of the name Rivers Bridge Initiative as a new framework to organize Rivers People and Residents to pursue, promote and protect democratic culture, citizens action and leadership accountable for the good governance and delivery of welfare to the people through and by its elected Government.
6. The Rivers Bridge Initiative also set up a steering committee to define and articulate a comprehensive strategic direction and drive immediate action through series of programs to bring various levels of leadership of the state to act within the law. The organization will forthwith begin to instigate the lawful resistance by Rivers People against forces of State capture, specifically members of the State House of Assembly and other such interests occupying state structures.
7. The steering committee is expected to within the next couple of weeks propose a structure for the organization and begin mobilization of Rivers people to stake a reclaim of Government back into people’s control.
In conclusion, The Rivers Bridge Initiative thanks Rivers People and organizations of every ethnic, professional, civil and political interest for rising up to defend our republican values and stage a push back of rogue forces intent upon the capture of State.
We invite Rivers People to join hands with us and others in the effort to reclaim our political space and build a new commitment to democratic vigilance and good governance. Rivers People should expect from Rivers Bridge Initiative series of targeted actions offering reconciliation, mediation or resistance where necessary for the safeguard of our democracy and a society ordered by the rule of law.
Signed.
1 Sir. Rufus Oba – Protem Chairman
2 Dr. Idah Felix Waboso – Protem Secretary
3 Arch. Tom Inko Tariah
4 Hon. Randolph Iwo Brown
5 Prof. Ugochuku Agi
6 Prof. Blessing Didia
7. Hon. Miabiye Kuromiema
8 Madam Stella Dogubo Ovai
9 Elder Shed Fubara
10 Elder Athanasius Eneyo
11 Pst. Walson Paminola
12 Mr. Sylvia Dugelo
13 Mr. Gani Topha
14 Mr. Kanu Emmanuel
15 Alhaji Ibrahim Sadauki Babangida
