A pan-Ijaw organization led by the Ijaw Nation Development organization, INDG, on Tuesday cautioned political actors involved in the attempted impeachment of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that the scheme could spark a crisis and threaten security and development in the state.
The warning comes a day after an arson attack and devastation of public assets were reported at the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.
Apart from the threat to the state’s peace and security posed by the Sunday night attack, the residents of the Niger Delta region are concerned that Fubara, who has only been in office for five months, has become a target of a political coup, according to INDG.
Speaking on behalf of the organization, Prof. Prosper Ayawei, President of the INDG, urged stakeholders, particularly Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to display caution and resolve any current disagreements without causing turmoil in the state.
According to him:
“Rivers State, which had become a good example of where democracy works with exemplary infrastructural projects under former Gov. Wike should not be upturned into festering sore of violent clashes due to ego and greed.
“We are shocked that the political actors are out to destroy the achievements recorded in Rivers State. We, therefore, call for caution and amicable settlement of issues that might have ignited the crisis.
“We urge the stakeholders in Rivers State to stand firm behind Gov. Fubara against any anti-democratic forces and peaceful settlement.”
The group also calls on the Speaker and leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly to reverse their decision to suspend the Majority Leader, Hon. Edison Ehie, and issue a notice of impeachment to Fubara, warning that the Ijaw nation is watching the developments in Rivers and will not hesitate to defend the mandate given to the Governor, an Ijaw man.
