Tinubu’s State Of Emergency In Rivers Is Concerning – Ex-Minister Nweke

Former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jr, has expressed displeasure with President Bola Tinubu’s state of emergency in Rivers State.

Naija News reported that the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, on Wednesday, clarified that the President acted in line with his powers enshrined in the constitution.

According to him, the statement of emergency also helped to save Governor Siminalayi Fubara from impeachment plots.

In his statement, Nweke said while Tinubu’s reasons may sound plausible, failure to address the issues that led to Rivers State’s political crisis raises questions.

“The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by President Tinubu is a concerning development. The justifications cited in the President’s statement may be plausible. Still, failure to address the genesis and align action with clear constitutional order and legal precedents leaves room for conjecture and betrays altruistic intent.

“People of goodwill are familiar with the actors and contentions that underpin the political impasse that denied citizens of Rivers state good order and development since May 2023. To my mind, directly addressing the parties involved and following the rule of law and laid down constitutional principles would have nipped these issues in the bud, preventing the situation from escalating,” he said.

He decried that Nigerians have yet to enjoy the dividends of democracy as a result of continued actions of political power grabbers.

“Good governance, improved welfare and security of lives and property, democratic freedoms of expression and association, hallmarks of a true and functioning democracy continue to be eroded for the seeming benefit of merchants of political power.

“Humans and systems are expected to evolve and improve with age and practice in the natural order of things, but it’s different in Nigeria. 26 years since the return to democratic rule, there has been a progressive deterioration in the quality, practice, and performance of the three arms and institutions of government.

“Iconoclasm, as state policy, should have no place in a constitutional democracy,” he stated.