A civil society organisation, called the Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy, has called on the National Assembly (NASS) to wade into the crisis in Rivers to save the state from anarchy.
The group made the call while speaking on the lingering executive-legislature feud in the state during an interactive session with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
The group’s National President, Mr Igbini Emmanuel, charged NASS to “urgently invoke the ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ to save Rivers from a complete breakdown of law and order”.
Emmanuel said that the group was worried about what would happen, when the three-year tenure of the 23 Local Government Councils would end on June 17.
He said that already, the political tension in the state had heightened between the supporters of Gov. Similaye Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Chief Nyesom Wike.
According to hom, the tension, if not urgently and decisively addressed, would pose serious threat to peace and complete breakdown of law and public order across the state.
“It is sadly an undeniable fact that the state is right now facing grave and imminent danger with both opposing political groups gearing for full blown war on June 17 and days after, the takeover and control of the administration of the Local Government councils,” he said.
Emmanuel said that with the conflicting court judgments and pending suits, relating to the lawful members and leadership of the state Assembly, there existed no legislative organ to make laws for peace, order and good governance of the state as stipulated by Section 4(6) of the Constitution.
“We are all aware that the majority of the incumbent chairmen of the LG councils have publicly vowed never to exit their positions on June 17, 2024 on the ground that the House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, had amended the state LG law mandating the chairmen to continue on their positions, if the council election was not conducted,” Emmanuel said.
He argued that the above scenario “clearly establishes the undeniable fact that Rivers is facing grave and actual danger”.
He feared that the peace, security and wellbeing of the people of Rivers may not be guaranteed, if urgent steps were not taken to arrest the situation.
The group therefore implored NASS “to immediately invoke the doctrine of necessity in Rivers, with a view to preventing the impending breakdown of law and order until such a time the state Assembly was able to resume its functions”.
It further argued that “by the express provisions of sections 4 and 11(4) of the Constitution, NASS “has the Constitutional power to make laws for the peace, order, good government of the federation or any part thereof and for any state at any time the House of Assembly is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that state”.
The group called for the setting up of a five-member Interim Management Committee, made up of men and women drawn from the academia, judiciary, religious groups, including professional bodies and non-governmental organisations, for each council.
It recommended that members of the committee “must be indigenes of the respective local government areas, who are not members of any political party and not known to be supporters or close associates of the governor or his predecessor”.
The group also recommended that the committee should administer the councils for not more than three months during which local government elections should be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission. (NAN)