RIVERS: THREAT TO FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS AS NIGERIA’S PRESIDENT DECLARES EMERGENCY IN THE STATE

By Emeagi Emeka Williams

Invoking the constitutional provision of Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has put Rivers State under emergency.
The declaration was communicated through a presidential broadcast yesterday, 18 March.

By this presidential intervention, the Governor of Rivers state , Fubara Siminalayi, his Deputy, Ngozi Odu and all the elected members of the State Assembly remain suspended for 6 months.
Sequel, Rivers State is to be under the administration of appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd), and the Administrator is charged to formulate policies that will drive the state aright , such which must be vetted by the Federal Executive Council and approved by the President.
The broadcast stated the lingering political crisis which has defied all entreaties from the president and concerned stakeholders for peace to restored as a major reason.
Other reasons are the recent Supreme Court ruling, as well as findings on Fubara’s acts of constitutional breaches.
Further, the broadcast contained that the suspended governor since Dec. 2023, demolished the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and has not rebuilt it till date; and that there have been recent militants threats and attacks on pipeline which the governor and the state assembly failed to address, etc.

The broadcast affirmed that the protracted political crisis had taken a devastating toll on democratic governance and its associated dividends in Rivers state
The declaration according to the release, has been published in the Federal Gazette and a copy forwarded to the National Assembly; and does not affect the judicial arm of the state which should continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.