The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, accused Governor Similanayi Fubara of plotting to procure interim orders to declare the state House of Assembly illegal.
At an unscheduled sitting last month, the assembly had ruled against Fubara to enact the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) Service Commission Law.
The lawmakers had said they observed that more than the constitutionally required 30 days had elapsed since they sent the notice of the amendment of the RSHA Service Commission law to the Governor for his assent.
To this end, the State House of Assembly threatened to commence fresh impeachment proceedings against him.
Recall that the Governor, on Wednesday, while addressing members of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Government House, Port Harcourt, the state capital; vowed to “surprise” those who consider his decision to implement the presidential peace pact as a sign of weakness
The Governor also urged members of the NULGE in the State to prepare and brace up, saying, “The next phase is fire for fire.”
However, according to the state’s main opposition Party, Fubara’s outburst was drumming war and disrespect for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC in Rivers, Tony Okocha, at a press conference in Port Harcourt alleged that the Governor is planning to engage some judges to obtain the interim order so as to announce as illegal the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly.
Okocha alleged that the Governor wants to leverage on the interim order in other to appoint Caretaker Committee of Chairmen of the Local Government Areas in the State.
“I want to use this opportunity to inform Rivers people and Nigerians of the move by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to procure interim orders from Judges that I may not name here, but I will put in my petition today to the National Judicial Council.
READ ALSO: Peace Pact: ‘If You See Me As Weak, I’ll Surprise You’ — Fubara Warns Opponents
“He wants to procure interim order stopping the implementation of the laws which he was vetoed over. He wants to procure an order to announce as illegal the Rivers State House of Assembly as constituted and as led by Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule. The Governor is in the business as we speak and I speak with all authority because the walls have ears.
“These are the plans that are on and he is doing that so that he will now leverage on that order to go ahead to appoint caretaker committees in local government against the warning of the man he says he respects, the President.
“But let me put it clearly here that we will stoutly, vehemently oppose such negative subterranean moves by a man who ought to protect the dignity and integrity of a state called Rivers. Rivers State cannot be turned to a pariah because of cluelessness of one person. Rivers State is a state to be reckoned with in the comity of nations, highly respected and regarded”
“But see how dangerously we have fallen because we have a Governor that does not understand his left from his right. So we (have) to put this out clearly to Nigerians and to Rivers people that we will stoutly disobey that. The gift according to Frantz Fanon that I like so much, the gift to an intransigence government is civil disobedience.
“If the Government of Siminalayi Fubara tends towards intransigence, then he will meet with civil disobedience. It is just natural,” he stated.
Reacting to the allegation Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Joe Johnson, said the Governor does not do backyard business and cannot make such plot.
“There is nothing like that we are not given to backyard business. My governor does not do anything that is illegal and he is not interested in any illegality. Whatever will come from the courts will not come from the back door. We are not like them and the governor has said that he will surprise them so he will surprise them.
“They are afraid because they know their fall is near. Rivers people spoke yesterday through the NULGE, and that organic love expressed threw the camp of the factional acting APC chairman into this feverish situation,” he said.
