Rivers APC Boss Commends Tinubu for Rescuing State from Brink of Anarchy

By Cyril Mbah, Abuja
The Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sir Tony Okocha has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for acting quickly to save Rivers State from sliding into anarchy describing the state of emergency imposed on Rivers as a necessary evil meant to save democracy.
Okocha described life in Rivers State before now as increasingly unbearable pointing out that many politicians had started relocating out of the area or hiding for safety especially when Ijaw youths turned the political problem in the state into a tribal, ethnic agitation.
Addressing newsmen at the APC National Secretariat on Thursday, soon after briefing the party leadership on the situation in Rivers State, Sir Okocha said political opponents of Governor Sim Fubara could not sleep with their eyes closed because armed groups loyal to the governor literally took over the entire state threatening to blow-up oil installations and deal with opponents of the governor who support his impeachment.
Describing the state of emergency as a timely soothing balm, the APC chieftain said the decision of the president was “a necessary evil comparable to the surgical operation that a patient undergoes and it saved the state from anarchy.”
He said that already life has gradually returned to normal in the state with increased security and improved intelligence gathering throughout the capital city stating also that 90 percent of the problems of the state has been solved by the emergency rule.
Okocha went down memory lane and reminded newsmen of the alleged numerous atrocities of Governor Fubara pointing out that even after the presidency intervened, the governor refused to implement the agreement reached by Rivers State stakeholders at the Villa.
He faulted hose along for he suspension of the Federal Capital Territory Minister describing Nyesom Wike as a peacemaker who was only interested in protecting his investment adding that no sane businessman will make investments and allow such to waste.
Okocha’s words: ”I am here to actually brief the National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee on the development in Rivers State. I thought I owed them that responsibility and to also seize the opportunity to thank the party at the national level for also coming heavily with support of our position.
“So, the apparent and prevalent issue in Nigeria today, initially was the Natasha and the Senate, but later it graduated to State of Emergency in Rivers State. I want to say to you that the State of Emergency called by Mr. President saved Rivers State from anarchy. Indeed, people like us could barely, hardly leave certain places that we hide for fear of the unknown, when you see non-state actors brandishing guns and making statements tailoring towards anarchy, lawlessness, then you should know that there is problem looming.
“I have not forgotten that we said that the government of the day in Rivers State was clueless. I’m sure some of you followed the Supreme Court judgment of February 28th. That judgment gave credence to our positions, very unbiased positions, that there was no government in Rivers State.
The Supreme Court said that there was no government in Rivers State because the legislative arm was completely non-existent. I can speak to you authoritatively on some of these issues. I see some people jump into the television houses and begin to cast aspersions on the president and condemn what they do not know about.
“Thank God President Jonathan had been president. General Obasanjo had been president. And they knew that on their table every day is what they call security reports. And so one wonders how they will jump into the matter, not recognizing or realizing that in their time they also had security reports. Aware of what we were pushing, in Rivers State the assembly members had issued a letter stating gross misconduct against the Governor of Rivers State. It was supposedly the first step.
“In Rivers State, there was no government. Even the Supreme Court members are not from Rivers State, but they read all the documents before them. But what every Nigerian, even the world, knows is that the governor jettisoned 27 lawmakers and was dealing with only three. And for whatever it is worth, it is a misnomer, a complete misnomer. “The governor as the head of the democracy was working with 9% legislators not 12 percent that he Supreme Court stated and he also refused to address the issues of budget. From the time of the judgment, which was in January 23rd, the governor decided on his own, with his whims and purposes, to withhold the finances of the assembly and he was deciding for the assembly where they will sit. You are also aware that the governor, in exercise of his whims and purposes, pulled down an iconic structure comparable to the National Assembly.
“It was also an affront to democracy. I was chief of staff between 2012 and 2015. At that period, there was lawlessness, a complete one. The only difference was that it was the state fighting the state. Thank God for our resilience, that there was nothing uncomfortable or worse than uncomfortable that we didn’t experience then. The assembly complex was taken over by armed personnel carriers and gun-throttling security men.
“Our assembly members deliberately or literally sat on the floor to legislate outside the confines of the assembly because they cannot access it. They sat down on the streets to legislate. We didn’t hear anything from present day critics.
“The political matter became ethnicised. People said oh, we are young, we are this, how can we sit down to see you remove our own brother? But I wish that they also were in sync or in knowledge of how their brother became governor.
Their voting strength is not up to 30,000. You can go and make the investigation. The voting strength of that local government is not up to 30,000, and I challenge you to go and make that inquiry. And you’re talking about other LGAs that even a ward produces more than 50,000. A ward, not the LGA now. But he became governor by divine providence, by the hard work of somebody.
“Some people are saying why didn’t you suspend the minister of Federal Capital Territory? Was he in the fray? The answer is no. If bringing him to the fray is because he is the leader of that political structure, then you may be right. The 32 assembly members were produced, sponsored by the former governor of River State, now minister of federal capital territory.
“The other point we make is that, and I’ve said that here before you, that Fubara, was the Wike’s political investment. I’ve said that many times. What happens to you when you have made an investment? Should you allow the investment to fly away or to explode? And in politics, I’m talking about even in economics, in politics it is heavy, if not impossible, for someone to allow you dismantle his political structure. They are all members of the same party. We have APC, they are members of a party called PDP.
“For those who are calling for his suspension and all that, they are not getting the point right. That man had been at the epicenter of peace. How do we resolve this matter? But the governor became so hydrated, his head became bigger than his pillow. He had some people who told him, you have the red pen, you know all and do all. You can make or unmake with your red pen.”
When asked how peace can be returned to Rivers State, Okocha said: “I’m not a prophet. And so it will be difficult to say what will happen after the six months. Don’t forget, the President said six months is the fastest time. So, if the prevailing circumstances on what we are seeing endure, then the President will not be in a hurry to take measures to avert that which he saw initially. And so, like I said, what the President sees and hears and reads, all of you know that the President is democratically personified,” Okocha complained.