The governors in a statement titled, “Blockade to Rivers Government House: Assault on Constitution and Descent to Anarchy”, said the incident was a direct affront on constitutional order. They said, “A situation whereby the Federal Government will use powers vested in it under the constitution to bully and intimidate state governments is unacceptable and should be resisted by every democratic government.
“We wish to unequivocally state our resolve to work with all democrats in the country to ensure adequate protection of democratic governance.’’
The statement was signed by Borno State Governor, Kashim Shetima; Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole; Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi; Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Almakura; Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun; Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; Oyo State Governor, Abiola
Ajimobi; Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Geldam; and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari. The governors’ statement came just as some Nigerians condemned the action of the police authorities in Rivers and the police insisted that they did not bar the governor from accessing Government House.
The governors said they received the news of the blockade with shock and disbelief, adding that crisis in Rivers since July 2013 constituted a major threat to the nation’s democracy.
They added that the situation in Rivers State was unfortunate and that all Nigerians must call on the Federal Government and all its agencies, including all arms of the security services, to respect the letter and spirit of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution.
They said, “In the specific case of Rivers State, provisions of Section 215(4) of the 1999 Constitution must be fully respected. This section provides that the Governor “may give to the Commissioner of Police of that state such lawful directions with respect to the maintenance and security of public safety and public order within the state as he may consider necessary, and the Commissioner of Police shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.’’
The governors noted that the inability of the federal Authorities to exercise all the necessary constitutional and moral authority to ensure the speedy resolution of the crisis had remained a source of danger for the nation’s democracy , the life of Amaechi and those of other public officers serving in the state.
The governors said the police action was a bad precedent and wondered if it was a signal that a similar blockade could be mounted against the President at the Presidential Villa. The police had on Thursday stopped Amaechi from using the gate to gain entrance into the Government House. The governor was in company with 102 former speakers of state Houses of Assembly when a team of policemen allegedly drafted by the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, blocked the Forces Avenue which leads to the governor’s house in the Government House.
The ex-Speakers were in the state capital for a meeting and had gone on an inspection tour after paying a courtesy visit to the governor. Reacting, the New Peoples Democratic Party said what happened in Rivers State was a sign that the country was returning to the dark days of the former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha.
A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the faction, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, in Abuja on Friday, said many events in the country had shown that democracy was not being allowed to thrive.
“Indeed, General Sani Abacha must be lamenting in his grave that Nigerians wrongly abused him considering the high degree of impunities being encouraged in a democratic set up, with the Police being used as a tool to haunt political opponents,” the faction said.
We didn’t block Amaechi – Police
However, the Rivers State Police Command on Thursday denied blocking Governor Amaechi,
from gaining access into the Government House. The command in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe, described media reports on the matter as “incorrect, false, fictitious and wrong in its entirety”.
The statement reads, “The attention of the police command has been drawn to stories making the round in the media that the police blocked the road to the Rivers State Government House in Port Harcourt, denying His Excellency, Governor Chibuike Amaechi ,access to the Government House.
The police state categorically that they did not block the road leading to the Government House, neither did they deny Governor Rotimi Amaechi access to the Government House in Port Harcourt or elsewhere.
"The story is incorrect, false, fictitious and wrong in its entirety and it is calculated to mislead the people of Rivers State, Nigerians and the general public. The Nigeria Police Force deems it necessary to place in proper perspective the event that gave rise to the wrong information being peddled in the media.’’
Amaechi lied – PDP
Also on Friday, the leadership of the PDP denied the blockade, saying that the governor misled Nigerians. A statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, alleged that the governor created an impression that he was barred by the police and the Federal Government from entering the Government House.
“This distortion of facts is totally unacceptable and unbefitting of a state governor,” Metu said, adding that Amaechi was aware that based on the ruling of the courts, the police had sealed off a secretariat illegally opened by some individuals under the name, flag and colour of the PDP.
We have no democracy again – Amaechi
Also on Friday, Amaechi reminisced on the incident which he described as the height of lawlessness and impunity. Amaechi, at an event for the former speakers in Port Harcourt, explained that Nigerians were now in a dispensation where the law was no longer supreme and urged the people to resist impunity.
“The National Assembly and the various state houses of assembly should address the retirement and welfare of the ex-lawmakers, it is very important,” Amaechi said.
The Chairman of the former Speakers’ Forum and ex-Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Simon Lalong, described the police behaviour as the highest level of impunity in the country. He also urged the National Assembly to call for the resignation of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.
Lalong, who spoke on behalf of the ex-speakers, said that if the police could act so unfairly where a governor was concerned, ordinary Nigerians were not safe.
He said, “I don’t think it is really police overzealousness, but the police are controlled by higher authorities. So, if that is what is happening, I think people should collectively call for the resignation of the Inspector-General of Police.
“Very soon, maybe they will start arresting people in their houses. I wonder what is really happening. I think the President must intervene in this issue.”
Also, a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, expressed sadness at the action of the police.
Mamora said, “I think, to say the least, that (roadblock) was quite unfortunate because we were coming from an inspection of projects. More than 70 former speakers were in the governor’s (Amaechi) entourage to inspect projects and on our way back to the Government House, we discovered that we just couldn’t pass because the road had been blocked.”
Peterside, Sagay, Okey, others react In Abuja, a member of the House of Representatives, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Downstream, Mr. Dakuku Peterside, described the police action as the height of dictatorship in the country.
Peterside, who is from Rivers State, spoke via a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Sylvester Asoya.
He said, “A situation whereby the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu led police in the State, an agency funded with tax payers money, to block the elected state governor from having access to Government House, showed that Nigeria was on a free fall to maximum dictatorship.”
Peterside further lamented that “the insult on the Government of Rivers State is an affront to all elected political office holders in Nigeria that requires definite condemnation by all lovers of freedom and democracy.”
A former chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Oyo State, who is now a leading figure in the newly registered All Progressives Alliance, Mr. Akin Oke, said the action of the police in Rivers State was a threat to democracy, calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to caution Mbu, for disrespecting social equality.
Similarly, a respected lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), and the National Vice President, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Mr. Taiwo Otitolaye, said the police action was a threat to democracy.
In separate telephone interviews with our correspondent in Ilorin on Friday, they advised against acts that could jeopardize the nation’s democracy.
While Sagay said the blockage was an abuse of power and a violation of Nigeria’s constitution, Otitolaye said it was an act of brigandage.
“It is undemocratic. We condemn it in strong terms. It is worrisome to us now that we are not in a military dictatorship. We do not want to revert to that era of military dictatorship. We ask that the presidency should not use the police or other security apparatus for any undemocratic adventure. He should desist henceforth from such,” Otitolaye said.
Sagay described the police action as a breach of the rule of law, a breach of the right of the freedom of the movement of the governor; a breach of Amaechi’s right to go to his office and an inhumane act. He said, “It is a breach of everything. It should not be seen to happen in a civilized society or a democratic society.”
Oke said, “The event of Thursday in Port Harcourt is worrisome and disturbing, particularly at this point when we are thinking that democracy has come to stay. For democracy to thrive in Nigeria, there must be tolerance. When you now view it from the point that there is no tolerance within the party (PDP), how do we grow our democracy?”
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