.Emergency rule a compromise to prevent Fubara’s impeachment –Fagbemi
.As Senate postpones ratification of emergency rule to Thursday, Reps keep mum
IGNATIUS OKOROCHA, Abuja JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sworn in Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, the sole administrator of Rivers State.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other aides of the President witnessed the short ceremony at the State House on Wednesday.
President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18, to address the protracted political logjam between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Rivers State House of Assembly members, even after the Supreme Court’s pronouncement.
In proclaiming the six-month State of Emergency, President Tinubu said the state’s security situation and political tension necessitated his intervention to forestall a total breakdown of law and order.
Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, born September 27, 1960, has a rich experience serving the nation.
He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the Nigerian Navy in 1983 and held various command positions until President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him Chief of Naval Staff in August 2015. He had the position until 2021.
After Vice-admiral Ibas retired from service, President Buhari appointed him the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana. He served between 2021 and 2023.
Rivers’ Administrator, Ibas, promises to maintain law, order
However, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Administrator of Rivers, has said he would work together with all stakeholders to maintain law and order in the state.
Ibas said this while addressing State House Correspondents after his swearing in by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, said the declaration of state of emergency in Rivers was a “compromise” to prevent the impeachment of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
Fagbemi said this on Wednesday while addressing State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
“Don’t forget there was a notice of impeachment from the House of Assembly. If that impeachment had been allowed to take its full course, then the governor would have lost entirely and completely.
“So, in a way, if you say it’s a compromise, I will agree.
“If the impeachment process had continued, in the end would have seen both the governor and the deputy governor out of office for the remainder of the four-year term,” he said.
Fagbemi said towards the end of 2023, things had not been going on well to the extent that the governor took the law into his hands and demolished the House of Assembly building.
“Don’t forget the role of the House of Assembly.
“They are the lawmakers, they are to consider budget, they are to pass budget, they are also to be approached in matters of appointment of commissioners for ratification and all other things; they are to do oversight functions.
“Since that happened, things have not been the same at all. In a community of 32, you expect that at least 15 or 16 will be there to do the job.
“The governor constituted about three or four of the members into the House of Assembly, gave them preferential treatment and moved them to the government house to be performing legislative functions,” said the minister.
He said the situation got to the court, and that at the end of the day, the Supreme Court made very profound findings of breaches of the constitution against the governor.
He said the court came to the decision that the governor had long anticipated, wrongly, that he might be impeached.
“He knew that the House of Assembly is a critical organ to do that, so he brought down the House of Assembly.
“There was no effort to rebuild the House of Assembly after 14 months. The government stands on a tripod: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
“He made the functioning of government impossible. It is not enough for the executive to say we are spending money. Even the money you want to spend must have been appropriated for by the House of Assembly,” said the AGF.
He said the Supreme Court came to a decision that the behaviour of the governor was like a despot, and that there was no government in Rivers.
“What further evidence do we need? So, the stage was set, but no action was taken immediately in the expectation or hope that good sense would prevail.
“It was expected that the governor would create an enabling environment, and that the House of Assembly too would be reasonable enough to ensure that the people of Rivers enjoyed dividends of democracy.
“We are in a democracy. There was, what I would call telegraphing of the militants by the governor, and the reason I said so was when he beckoned to them that he would let them know when it was time to act,” said Fagbemi.
He stated that a week after, the militants swung into action by vandalising pipelines, and that the governor did not come out to disown them.
“Don’t also forget that when this government came into office, Nigeria was producing about 900,000 barrels of oil a day. With the efforts and the ingenuity that the President had, he ensured that the production rose to about 1.5 million barrel per day.
“That’s about 45 per cent increase. Governors were smiling home at the end of the month with about 60 per cent increase in their take home to their various states.
“Then somebody rose or encouraged or became inactive when he was supposed to act. There was not a word dissuading the militants who issued the threat,” said Fagbemi.
He said Nigeria still relied largely on oil, and for anyone to touch the oil pipelines, he must be viewed not only as an enemy of Rivers, but an enemy of Nigeria.
“All the 36 states share what comes in from the production of oil. And I believe that the decision of Mr President is anchored on the decision of the Supreme Court.
“The second one is the inability of those involved, both the House of Assembly and the governor, from being able to create an enabling environment for the people of rivers to enjoy the dividends of democracy.
“Then the security situation in that place. If he had waited maybe a day longer, only God knows what would have followed,” he said.
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.Emergency rule a compromise to prevent Fubara’s impeachment –Fagbemi
Contrary to the expectations of Nigerians that the Senate will on Wednesday give expeditious approval to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergency rule in Rivers State, the upper chamber at its plenary stepped down a motion to approve the proclamation of a State of Emergency in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu till Thursday, without providing any explanation for its action.
Other items postponed are the report of the Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund on the “Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Egbe, Kogi State (Establishment) Bill, 2025”; a motion on the “Urgent need to address systemic abuse and ineffective implementation of the federal character principle in Nigeria’s public service”; and three bills for concurrence from the House of Representatives.
The motion on the “Proclamation of State of Emergency in Rivers State” was sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central), was first stepped down as the first item on the Orders of the Day at the beginning of plenary until 3pm, but was eventually postponed till the following legislative day (Thursday) for debate and approval of the federal legislature as demanded by the constitution.
To approve the declaration, the Senate requires a two-third majority (73 out of 109 senators) to allow the emergency rule to take effect.
The Senate, as stated in the motion, notes with serious concern that Rivers State has been experiencing serious political crises and disturbances which presently constitute great threats to peace, order, good governance, security safety to the state and her citizens.
It also notes that “the state has been at a standstill since the crises started with the good people of Rivers State not being able to enjoy the dividend of democracy.”
The Red Chamber further observes that the magnitude of the crises has overwhelmed the state government as parties involved have not allowed good sense to prevail and bring about peace in the state, hence the federal government attempt to restore peace, security and good governance.
“Worried that there is a clear and present danger of the crises as some militants had threatened fire and brimstone with security report of disturbing incidents of vandalization of oil pipelines.
“Convinced that there is the need to provide adequate and extra ordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security in Rivers State,” the Senate states.
President Tinubu had on Tuesday declared a State of Emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political crisis in the oil rich South-South state.
Tinubu made the proclamation during a nationwide broadcast, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara; his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu; and all the members of the House of Assembly for six months.
The President, however, nominated a former Chief of Naval Staff, CNS, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as the administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state for the first six months, hinging his decision on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, saying he can’t continue to watch the political situation in Rivers escalate without taking any action.
Also, as opposed to public expectations, the House of Representatives has refused to deliberate on the State of Emergency declared in Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday.
This is as even as the the House had through its spokesman, assured that the issue of emergency rule would be one of its top issues during Wednesday session.
It would be recalled that shortly after the president declared the emergency rule in a nationwide broadcast, the House through its spokesman, Hon. Akin Rotimi jnr, said it was briefed of the impending development by the president.
He said that a letter to that effect had already been transmitted to the House, through its leadership, hinting that deliberations on it would take place during next legislative day’s plenary.
“The National Assembly was duly consulted by the President.
” Mr. President’s formal letter, informing the House of Representatives of his decision and seeking approval in line with Section 305 of the Constitution, has been transmitted and will be read during plenary tomorrow, Wednesday, March 19, 2025, and further legislative action will be debated and decided, “he had said.
Following this revelation, most Nigerians waited to hear or watch deliberations on the development on Wednesday but they were disappointed as no such issue was mentioned on the floor of the House.
It was gathered that the green chamber deferred the issue to Thursday’s sitting because it was not impressed with the low turnout of members to the day’s plenary.
As observed, members of the House that attended Wednesday’s plenary presided by the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu, were not up to 1/3 of the entire House made up of 360 members.
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