South-South Leader Edwin Clark has described the directives issued to Governor Sim Fubara as a resolution of the political crisis in Rivers State as not only appalling but also unacceptable, particularly to the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
The directives were given at a meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu and attended by the governor and other Rivers stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday night.
The foremost Ijaw leader made the declaration on Tuesday at a press briefing at his residence in Abuja, threatening to take legal action.
He said the eight-point resolution is undemocratic, dictatorial, one-sided, and aimed at handing over the political leadership of Rivers State to the former governor of the state and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
According to him, from the terms of the purported settlement, it is obvious that President Tinubu used his role as a mediator to once again show gratitude to the FCT minister for “delivering” Rivers State to him during the last presidential elections.
He observed that Tinubu had previously gratified Wike by making him the minister of FCT.
Clark noted that the attendees of the meeting were one-sided in favour of the minister while describing the 8-point resolution as the most unconstitutional, absurd, and obnoxious resolution at settling feuding parties he had ever seen.
He alleged that Governor Fubara was ambushed and intimidated into submission.
While commending President Tinubu for heeding the calls to mediate the crisis, Clark stated: “However, the terms of settlement as contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the reconciliatory meeting are what is baffling, appalling, and unacceptable to the people, especially the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
“From the terms of the settlement, it is obvious that President Tinubu sees his role as a mediator to once again show gratitude to the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for ‘delivering’ Rivers State to him during the past presidential elections, having first gratified him by making him the Minister of FCT.
“First Observation: The composition of the attendees of the meeting was one-sided in favour of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), because while Martins Amaewhule, a former Speaker (because he automatically lost his seat the very moment he decamped to another political party), was present at the meeting, it would have only been equitable and expedient for Edison Ehie, the Speaker, as affirmed by constitutional provisions and by the granting of the court, to be in the meeting, if the purpose was sincere.
“The eight resolutions reached are the most unconstitutional, absurd, and obnoxious resolutions at settling feuding parties that I have ever witnessed in my life.
“As a matter of fact, some media captured it very well when they described it as directives. And the fact that such a thing was done at the Villa, the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria, is sacrilegious because any place housing or being a custodian of a symbol of authority ought to be sacred.
“It is obvious that Governor Siminialayi Fubara was ambushed and intimidated into submission.
“President Tinubu should know that with all the powers he possesses, he cannot override the Constitution.
“From all that transpired at the meeting, the laws of the land have not been obeyed. President Tinubu simply sat over a meeting where the Constitution, which is the fulcrum of his office as President and which he swore to uphold and abide by, was truncated and desecrated.”
Clark pointed out that the Nigerian Constitution is clear on what should happen to the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who left the political party on which platform they were
He described the directive to re-submit the names of Commissioners who have resigned their appointments on their own volition as ridiculous
“Who is nominating them to become commissioners again? Is it, Mr. President? Was Mr. President thinking that he was mediating in a matter between Nyesom Wike and employees of Nyesom Wike’s private company? Is it what Nyesom Wike means when he talks about “structure, referring to Rivers State as his personal holdings or enterprise?” he queried.
The former Federal Commissioner of Information also observed that the directive for Fubara to re-present the state budget already passed into law and signed “is absolutely ridiculous and unconstitutional.”
“By President Tinubu’s actions and directives, he has overruled the Constitution of the country; he has shaken the foundation of the country’s democracy,” he argued.
Clark further stated: “By the actions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has really shown his dislike and disdain for the Ijaw people and confirmed his hatred for them. And as the leader of the Ijaws, we will resist it.”
He vowed that the directive that members of the House of Assembly will choose where they will sit to carry out their legislative duties will be resisted, as according to him, “it is the duty of the executive to provide legislative accommodation for the Houses of Assembly, including the National Assembly, and not the members of the House of Assembly to choose a place to meet.”
“We will resist such draconic, arbitrary, and unconstitutional action by Mr President and his customer, Nyesom Wike. We will go to court to challenge this so-called one-sided and oppressive action of Mr. President,” he declared.
Clark accused Governor Fubara of showing “feebleness of character, by agreeing and appending his signature to a document containing such absurdity,” adding, “He has betrayed the people who elected him as governor and those who stood behind him in this cause.
“Mr. Fubara has shown naivety in his actions; by signing that document, he has signed his death warrant, believing that the President will show him some sort of favour. Mr. Fubara’s mandate is constitutional, and so he cannot surrender it in the face of intimidation from any quarter.”
Noting that Tinubu would not allow himself to be treated like Fubara, Clark warned: “We are prepared to face any consequences that may result in the political crisis in Rivers State.
“We will resist any attempt, subtle, subterranean, covert, overt, to make an elected Ijaw son, Siminialayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State, a servant, a stooge to Nyesom Wike, who had boasted that any attempt by the Governor to touch his so-called ‘Wike’s structure’, with the connivance and support of President Bola Tinubu, will be resisted by us.
“As I said, we will go to court to resist this oppressive action using all available constitutional and legal means. It is on this note that I wish to appeal to the youths who are aggrieved to remain calm, as we will use legal means to dethrone this hydra-headed monster, called oppression.”
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