EbonyHerald Stores Ebony Herald News24
There has been on an usual surge in the scale of political crisis rocking Rivers State, just as governor Siminalayi Fubara ordered the demolition of the entire state House of Assembly Complex, located at the Moscow Road, close to the state police command.
Recall that the state had been embroiled in series of political crisis engendered by clash of interest between the state governor, Fubara and the immediate past governor who is the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike over control of political structures in the state.
But the latest development, according to reports, was triggered by defection of 27 lawmakers said to be loyal to the former governor Wike.
Analysts have also reasoned that the 27 members of the state house of assembly who defected are in the majority and would soon be able to impeach the governor based on their strenght, if the governor had not taken the step to order the demolition of the assembly complex.
On the state of current demolition, sources claimed that no fewer than five bulldozers were seen pulling down structures at the assembly complex, touted to be the best state house assembly structure in the country, at the time it was built by the administration of former governor Peter Odili.
Reacting to the crisis in the state, a right activist, Friday Wiro, stated that the pandemonium created by the state political actors is unhealthy for the development of the state, whixh remains the hub of oil and gas activities in the South-South region.
He expressed displeasure over governor Fubara’s demolition order on the assembly structures, against government’s initial promise to renovate the complex following the explosion that rocked same building in the wake of an attempt to impeach the governor.
It will also be recalled that on Tuesday, the governor had sought an experte order restraining the state lawmakers from sitting for any proceeding or plenary.
On the whereabouts of the Mace, which is the symbol of authority, a political source who preferred anonymity said that the mace remains in the custody Ehie Edison led faction ( who was being affirmed by the high court, led by Justice M. Danagogo as the authentic speaker of the state house of assembly)
In addition, part of the intrigues surrounding the latest crisis in Rivers State include the fact that journalists were barred from moving close to the Assembly Complex to get a full coverage and assessment of the situation on ground as at the time demolition.
On the implications of the state of affairs, pundits said that the crisis would make it impossible for the passage of the state budget without the assembly’s oversight.
And, lending his voice to the development in Rivers State, Mr. Opunabo Nko-Tariah, a former Special Adviser to former governor Wike reacted by saying that elders in the state had been compromised. He added that the FCT minister was fully involved in the ongoing crisis, “in fact he orchestrated it.”
He called on President Bola Tinubu to rein in former governor, whose administration he described as dotted by terror and parsonal ego.
On why the governor demolished the whole assembly complex, he said that ” he ( Fubara) is the only one who can tell us why.”
He added that Rivers people were angry over what has plagued the state and the fact that governor Fubara had not reacted enough over what transpired.
In another development, reports have emerged through the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Joe Johnson, that the state assembly complex was being demolished based on experts’ advice that the structure had failed integrity test and may not be safe for habitation.
