The North said on Tuesday that the role
being played by wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, and the
abuse of the rule of law in Rivers State showed that the country was
sliding into anarchy and lawlessness.
A coalition of northern groups, which
included the Arewa Consultatve Forum, the Northern Elders’ Forum, the
Code Group, the Arewa Reawakening Forum, the Northern Union and the
Arewa Research and Development Project, made the declaration at a press
conference in Kaduna.
Spokesman for the NEF, Prof. Ango
Abdullahi, who spoke on behalf of the coalition at a joint press
conference , insisted that the hands of the Presidency were clearly
visible in the Rivers State saga that “appears to draw inspiration from
the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan to stay in power in 2015.”
He said the developments in Rivers State
represented new low in the shameful conduct of political officeholders
at the highest level, which must be condemned by all Nigerians.
Stressing that those fanning the ember
of violence in Rivers State had abandoned their responsibilities in
pursuance of “imaginary enemies”, the professor of agriculture warned
that the development could endanger the nation’s democracy and national
security.
He said, “The crisis in Rivers State is a
sad reminder of our experience in the Western Nigeria crisis of 1963.
It is symptomatic of the politics of intolerance, which has remained the
hallmmark of political experience since 1999.
“From former Governor Dariye of Plateau
State, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Chief Audu Ogbe, Chief
Vincent Ogbulafor, Dr. Ekwesilieze Nwodo, and most recently, Chief
Timeripe Sylva – all perceived enemies at one time or the other since
1999, had been subjected to venomous, vengeful and unforgiving treatment
all in he name of politics and struggle for power.”
He said in the view of the groups the
President should order an immediate cessation of hostilities in Rivers
State and stop using the Nigerian Police Force to settle his political
disputes.
Abdullahi added, “The Nigerian Police is
not a political party and certainly not an arm of the Peoples
Democratic Party. It must not be dragged into the internal crisis of the
President’s party. The governor and indeed the people of Rivers State,
as indeed all citizens of Nigeria, deserve full potection of the law and
other rights to live in peace under state-guaranteed security. No one
should be persecuted.
“The alarming desperation of the
politicians to manourver themselves into vantage positions for electoral
contests of 2015 is the major threat to the elections themselves and
ultimately, the democratic process. The clumsy and embarrassing conduct
and fallout of the election of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the
engineered crisis in the ruling party, the role of the spouse of the
President in the affairs of Rivers State, are signs that Nigeria is
descending into anachy and lawlessness rarely seen in our history.
“The hands of the Presidency are clearly
visible in all these events that appear to draw the inspiration from
the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan to stay in power in 2015.”
In a related development, the region also alerted that the New Census Board was out to instigate unwanted crisis in the country.
“There are ominous signs that the new
leadership of the NPC is out to create sensation and plunge Nigeria into
avoidable crisis. Instead of settling down to understand the complex
demographic dynamics of the country, the new leadership has so far only
engaged in spurious allegatioins,” Abdullahi said.
Meanwhile, one of the five Rivers State
lawmakers opposed to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Mr. Evans Bipi, on Monday
made a surprise appearance at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Bipi’s purported election as the new
Speaker by the anti-Amaechi lawmakers fuelled the mayhem that broke out
in the House of Assembly last Tuesday.
The lawmaker attended a state banquet,
which President Goodluck Jonathan hosted in honour of participants of
the just-concluded African Union Special Summit on HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria, tagged Abuja +12.
In a short interview with State House
correspondents after the event, Bipi claimed that over 23 of his
colleagues elected him to replace Mr. Oelemabama Amachree, contrary to
the claims that only the five anti-Amaechi lawmakers met.
He attributed his emergence to God, who he said made it possible for him to serve his people again.
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We won't descend into anarchy. Uphold Nigerian for your children and Children's children and many generations to come...Speak Peace to this Land. Say, Nigeria...Peace unto you this day and always
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