“I have seen that while the State appears peaceful, it may very well be peace of the graveyard which any little trigger can alter the balance of peace in the State and across the Region “

This afternoon (Yesterday, Friday, 11, April), I visited His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, at his residence in Port Harcourt.

We discussed the extreme political developments in the State in the last couple of weeks. I appreciated his calmness and peaceful disposition in the midst of unprecedented turbulence.

In our frank conversation, which was private, he expressed confidence in the ability of the institutions and leadership of the country to do what is right, and so do I.

I want to commend the good people of Rivers State on both sides, for maintaining peace and order even in the midst of this extreme and rare political development as I have seen that while the state appears peaceful, it may very well be the peace of a graveyard which, any little trigger can alter the balance of peace in the state and across the region.

In this regard, I want to appeal to all our people, the youths of Rivers State, and in particular the youths of Ijaw Nation, in Rivers State and across the Niger Delta, from Arogbo in Ondo State, to Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State, to continue to be peaceful and resist any provocation or incitement to violence. They should refrain  from violence and destructive tendencies, particularly the destruction and vandalization of strategic oil and gas infrastructure in the region, which has the tendency to cause further pollution-damage to our already compromised environment, slow down the pace of economic development and activities in the region, and create fiscal challenges for government at all levels in the country, especially at this time when the global economy is experiencing unprecedented instability with consequences for all nations.

On account of the above, I urge all stakeholders to place the overall well-being of Rivers state, its people, the Niger Delta region and the entire country in their decisions, utterances and actions.

I also urge the Sole Administrator, who himself is a highly decorated and respected military veteran from the Niger Delta region, to refrain from actions that do not build confidence and aid the quick and amicable resolution of the crisis.

I commend the security forces for keeping peace in the region and urge them to continue to work with stakeholders and constituted authorities  to do so, even in Rivers State and across the region.

I call on the President to prevail on stakeholders, especially my brother the FCT Minister and the governor, Siminalaye Fubara, to find a common ground for tolerance and accommodation for a quick resolution. As I have always said, there are no perfect fathers and sons.

We must learn to tolerate and manage one another in spite of our imperfections and always remember the unique relationship they have built over the years, which has led to the emergence of the governor. It is always the divine prerogative of fathers to torlerate and forebear for the overall interest of all.

On the part of the President, I would like to state that the Ijaw Nation is not at war with the Federal Government or with the President, and we are looking up to him as the leader of the nation to lead in the resolution of the issues and restore normalcy and democratic rule. I call on all leaders from the Niger Delta at the State and National level to play an active part in the resolution of this issue.

The Ijaw Nation is not at war with the President or the APC-led Federal Government. On the contrary the Niger Delta and the Ijaw Nation have always stood for a restructured and truly Federal Nigeria where power is properly devolved, accelerated infrastructure and human capital development, environmental justice and fairness for all, and an inclusive Nigeria. On all these issues, we are encouraged to see the President as a partner from his antecedence and not a foe irrespective of party differences as some may portray.

Dickson, a ranking Senator  was Governor of Bayelsa State for two-terms

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Aggrieved Rivers State women on Friday April 11, 2025, stormed the streets of Port Harcourt, to protest against the imposition of a State of Emergency on the State.

President Bola Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the Sole Administrator of the State,after suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara his deputy,and members of the state House of Assembly.

The emergency declaration, was the climax of months of political bickering between Nyesom Wike the FCT Minister and his erstwhile protege, Governor Fubara.

However, the development has so far been greeted by widespread opposition and condemnation from across board.

The protesting women under the aegis of Justice and Democracy, insisted on the immediate reversal of the situation in the State.

According to them, the declaration of the State of Emergency was purely  driven by political maneuvering aimed at currying unmerited favour in the count down to the 2027 general elections.

The women, who hit the streets in their numbers maintained that contrary to the official claims, the emergency declaration was not done in the wider national interest, but to protect some narrow and selfish agenda of a few political over lords.

In the same vein, the protesters, strongly condemned the actions of the administrators who they accused of clearly overstepping his bounds.

However, the women said they were not altogether surprised at the disposition of Ibas as he is all out to implement the sinister agenda of his mentors.

According to the women, the unconstitutional moves to appoint Local Council Interim Officials ,the dissolutions and reconstitution of the state’s Electoral Commission are all in tandem with the power- grabbing agenda of those that masterminded the emergency rule.

The protesting women whose grievances were itemized and marshaled by their spokesperson, Dr Nancy Chidi Nwankwo, faulted President Tinubu’s rush to proclaim emergency rule in Rivers and turning a blind eye to the serious security challenges in many states, particularly in the North West region of the country.

“The overreach of the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, is a glaring indicator of this political conquest.

“His actions, which go far beyond the limited powers of placeholder, betray the impartiality expected of his office, and reveal the real intention behind this emergency – a calculated power grab under the guise of national interest.

“We find it confounding that the Federal authorities in Abuja, relying on conjecture and manufactured narratives, would choose  to descend with the full weight of force on Rivers State, deploying sledgehammer to kill a fly, while ignoring the dire security emergencies ravaging states such as Borno, Yobe, Zamfara ,Kaduna,Plateau and Benue.

“In these States, terrorists overrun entire communities  taking control of Local Governments, and brutally murdered thousands of innocent citizens .

“Yet, no such declaration of emergency has been made”, the women noted in their protesting letter.

They, therefore, called on the President, as a matter of urgency, to  lift the State of emergency on the State, and restore all democratic institutions.

They insisted that the present military-style adminstration in the State must be halted ,as there are no justifiable grounds for such a system.

Similarly, they appealed to all well meaning Nigerians, especially former Nigerian presidents to join in persuading the Federal Government to end the unjust emergency rule in Rivers state.

However, the women vowed to sustain the protest ,and peaceful resistance until the siege on the State is lifted.

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

A chieftain of the troubled Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and one time Deputy National Chairman of the Party, Chief Olabode George, on Friday, April 11, cautioned the Rivers State appointed Sole Administrator, Vice Marshall Ibok- Ete Ibas,  to resist  the temptation of getting ” drowned in the murky waters of the State’s politics.

In a statement, George, himself a retired Naval Commodore,  insisted that Ibas must apply the brake in his series of unconstitutional moves, particularly, the dismantling and re-appointment of  legally constituted Governmental structures.

George’s cautionary note is coming on the heels of  Ibas’s appointment of Interim Officials for the 23 Local Councils of the State, as well as the reconstitution of the Rivers state Independent Electoral Commission RSIEC and other parastatals.

Particularly, the PDP Board of Trustee member took serious exception to the Administrator’s appointment of Interim Council Chairmen in complete disobedience of a subsisting restraining court order.

The Source reports that Ibas  announced the appointment of the Council Chairmen on Wednesday, April 9, amidst a Court order issued on Tuesday April 8, by a Port Harcourt Federal High Court, presided over by Justice Adamu Turaki Muhammad.

In fact, to further undermine the Court order, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, in a circular, stated that the appointment, though made on Wednesday 9 ,was to take effect on Monday April 7.

But reacting to the  development, Chief George warned his professional colleague against getting consumed by an inferno less in intensity than the one he withered in his over three decades of service as a Naval officer.

“I want to  warn Admiral Ibas. If you act against the spirit of the Constitution, you will be held responsible.

“Your appointment is for six months. Even if the President extends it, you will still leave one day because nobody elected you. Your position as Sole Administrator is not legally recognized”, Chief George stated.

He maintained that in the eyes of the law, Siminalayi Fubara  remains the Governor of Rivers State, with the power to undo all the appointments which Ibas is presently making.

According to him, the duties of the   Administrator do  not include making far-reaching political appointments as he is currently doing.

“What happens to those appointments when you leave office on September 18 ? Why are you flouting a valid Court order ? Did you receive approval from the National Assembly to reconstitute the Boards?

“Do you now wield both executive and legislative powers in Rivers State? You have no legal right to appoint anyone.

This is not a military regime.

“The Constitution is still in force .Those using you now will throw you under the bus once you leave office.

“You behaved honourably as a Naval officer. Don’t let unconstitutional actions stain your record. You did not drown in the Navy; don’t let politics drown you legally and politically. Now is the time to apply the brakes”, Chief George noted.

The PDP chieftain’s position also comes the same time the Nigerian Bar Association NBA relocated its 2025 Annual General Conference out of Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, in protest against the imposition of a state of emergency.

In a statement issued late on Thursday evening, April 10, the NBA national leadership noted that holding the all-important Conference in the State, will amount to tacitly endorsing the illegal State of Emergency in place.

The body has chosen Enugu State as an alternative for the Conference.