Following the protracted political leadership crisis that has engulfed Rivers State, the erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), and presently, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has berated the lawmakers loyal to the Minister of FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, for choosing to mortgage their consciences and enslave themselves politically in the name of blind loyalty.
Chief Eze was reacting to the ongoing faceoff between the pro-Wike lawmakers and Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers state.
For pro-Wike lawmakers to adjourn sine die without consideration of the State Budget simply exposes Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and the 26 lawmakers as being on a sinister mission to ruin the State politically and economically.
In a statement in Port-Harcourt, Sunday, Eze said bending backwards to obey the recent Supreme Court judgment shows that Governor Fubara has respect for the rule of law, and the interest of people of Rivers state occupies a prime position in his heart.
However, by adjourning indefinitely, the embattled "lawmakers" have shown to the world that they are political skit makers, hellbent on frustrating and distracting the administration of Fubara from actualizing his government's people oriented policies and programmes.
By this devious act of indefinite adjournment, Amaewhule and his co-travellers are making frantic efforts to ensure that funds accruing to the State from the federation account are domiciled in the CBN following the order of the Supreme Court.
By implication, not allowing the Fubara administration to represent the State budget, will continue to rob the Rivers State government of funds to pay civil service salaries and execute projects accordingly. Obviously, this will cause economic hardships and make life unbearable for people of Rivers State.
It is on records that Governor Fubara has made concerted efforts to represent the State Budget before the Martin Amaewhule led Rivers State Assembly but to no avail.
"This legislative misfits, who have mortgage their conscience and enslaved themselves in the devious political dungeon of Wike are a disgrace to the principles of democracy and rule of law.
"For this group of anti democratic charlatans with demonic tendencies to have the audacity to block the governor from accessing the State Assembly complex means that they are acting a well written skit script" Eze stated.
In view of the recent act of irresponsibility and lack of respect for the office of the executive governor of Rivers State as perpetrated by these bunch of political chameleons, Nigerians can now understand why they are celebrating and rejoicing over the crisis and plight of people of Rivers State.
In a similar development, the APC Chieftain lambasted the 27 "lawmakers" for passing a bill according immunity to themselves.
According to Eze, the act of these Wike's loyalists shows that they are ignorant of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Passing three bills by the House of Assembly exposes them not only as being selfish but as undemocratic elements under curse.
For the purpose of clarity and better understanding, the three Bills are as follows: The Rivers State House of Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Bill, 2025, a Bill that seeks to grant the House powers, privileges and immunity to perform its Legislative duties;
the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the existing State Electoral Law of 2018, and to re- enact a new one to provide for the establishment, Composition and functions of the Commission in line with the Electoral Act of 2022 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and the Rivers State Local Government Bill, 2025, which seeks to repeal the State’s Local Government Laws of 2018, 2023 and 2024, and to re- enact a new Local Government Law that will be in sync with contemporary Laws in the administration of the Local Government Councils.
This move by the lawmakers, Eze said, has shown that they are bathing in the ocean of trepidation and having myopic grasp of the wordings and letters of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
"For the House to seek immunity in order for them to carry out their clandestine duties shows they either don't understand the Constitution that granted immunity only on the President, Vice President, Governors and their Deputies, or they have become democratic despots in the making.
Chief Eze, therefore urged Governor Fubara not to accent to any of these laws that are inimical to the emancipation and development of the State.
Eze noted that an Assembly that blocked a governor from representing the State budget, in line with a judgment of the Supreme Court, is still the one that sat somewhere and passed useless and self-serving bills to satisfy their political ego.
"Blocking Governor Fubara from representing the State budget, passing three inimical and self-serving bills, and adjourning indefinitely, shows they are contemplating an impeachment. Let's see how this will happen in Rivers State.
"Imagine what is happening under the watch of Bola Tinubu, as President of Nigeria. The political crisis in Rivers has continued unabated due to the support Wike in getting from President Tinubu.
"Without mincing words, Wike and his rampaging 'yes-sir' lawmakers are navigating their ways through the body language of Tinubu.
"How can rule of law which President Tinubu has insisted should take pre-eminence be for Fubara to adhere to and same maxim not applicable to the erratic lawmakers, Eze submitted.
According to Eze, Nigerians should hold the President accountable for any upheaval in Rivers State, because his personal disposition is fueling the rage in Wike to arrogate unnecessary power to himself.
Wike forgets that, he whom the gods want to destroy, they first make mad, Eze said, advising him to stop playing God and engaging in a do or die style of politics.
At this juncture, I appeal to President Tinubu to remember he is a President and father of all Nigerians, not Wike's and his loyalists' President.
"Not minding how he became President, today, Bola Tinubu is the number one citizen of Nigeria. He is the Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and not Wike. Let him make Wike to understand this.
"If Wike is not being supported and encouraged by Tinubu, to unleash mayhem and raise tension in Rivers state, the lingering crisis would have since been resolved.
"Anyway, I leave Wike and Tinubu with this scriptural words of wisdom for them to know that: man proposes, God disposes; and that, no weapon fashioned against the children of God shall prosper", Eze stated.
Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, APC Chieftain, member of APC Legacy Projects Media Team & former National Publicity Secretary, nPDP wrote and made this piece available to our Correspondent on 16 – 03 – 25.
