Taiwo Popoola
President Bola Tinubu has blamed Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for the ongoing political crisis in the state.
Speaking during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday, he expressed concern over the inability of political actors in Rivers State to reach an agreement and ensure peace.
The President accused the governor of demolishing the State Assembly complex and failing to rebuild it for the past 15 months.
He noted that despite interventions from himself and other stakeholders, the parties involved have been unable to reach a truce.
Tinubu further accused the governor of dismantling the legislative arm of government.
The President also referenced what he called “the latest security reports from the state,” particularly incidents of pipeline vandalism, stating that the governor had failed to address the issue.
The President said, “The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today, there have been disturbing incidents of pipeline vandalism by some militants, without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
“I have, of course, given a stern order to the security agencies to ensure the safety of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order, and security.”
On Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the non-functionality of the legislative arm of government as the reason for his decision.
He appointed Retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to take over the administrative functions of the state.
