Chief Anabs Sara-Igbeis a member of Rivers Elders Forum. In this interview he speaks on the crisis in Rivers State, last Saturday’s local government election, the unprofessional conduct of the police, why the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike shouldseek peace, among others. JOY ANIGBOGU brings the excerpts:
What can you say about all that has been happening in Rivers State, particularly the violence that took place after last Saturday’s local government election?
What we need is mutual understanding, peaceful disposition in the face of all the provocation. I thank God also for the peaceful election and also exposing the wickedness of Nyesom Wike and his people. To start with the constitution of this country, 1999 as amended is very clear that the governor in section 215 (4) has the power to direct the commissioner of police to protect lives and property but in the case of Rivers State the commissioner refused to take directives from the Governor rather hewas taking directives from outside the government. The governor is the chief executive officer of the state, and there is no other directive other than the constitutional directive but the commissioner of police refused to take instructions or directive from the governor. The governor was not provoked, hemaintained his calm. So I thank God for his disposition and also the bold step he took in conducting this election. At least everybody in this country will now see that the entire state is behind the Governor. The people of the Niger Delta, the Ijaw nation are also behind him. I thank the governor for the bold step and I thank the likes of Pa Edwin Clark who took it upon himself as a leader of the Southern Nigeria and South South, particularly the Ijaw nation to ensure that justice is maintained and the right thing is done in Rivers State. Also I thank Ada George and the Elders Forum for standing behind the governor. What is happening in Rivers State is uncalled for. The constitution is very clear there cannot be two governors in the state. There should be only one governor. When a governor has served out his tenure heshould allow the incumbent governor who is empowered by the law to govern the state. In the case of Rivers State, the former governor still thinks that he is the de facto governor of the state because he supported a particular candidate to become governor. That is the beginning of the crisis but the governor up till today is still disposed to making peace. He wants peace. He wants everybody to come together and build Rivers State. It is unprecedented. He is not saying, because you have done this I am not going to forgive you. He has forgiven everybody from what he has said. He is calling everybody to come together and build Rivers State. The issue of burning the secretariats, shooting guns is uncalled for. What did you come to this world with? We came into this world with nothing and we shall leave with nothing. What are we looking for? You had the opportunity to govern. You have governed, let the other man govern and let the people of Rivers State have peace and enjoy themselves, you refused. And the Lord has disgraced you. The Lord has humbled you. I will appeal to Nyesom Wike to realise that hecannot fight God. You cannot make yourself God. Any time you go against God he will humiliate you. The election of Rivers State has proved that the governor is now in charge. The so-called structures have been dead and buried. You grabbed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), you grabbed the All Progressives Congress (APC), one man in APC and PDP so that the governor will not have a platform to contest. Another window opened and hehas proved to everybody that those structures are dead. Let us accept it the way it is and bring peace to Rivers State. Let everybody come together and work with the governor.
I want to talk about the role of the police. Do you think the police took sides through their actions in some of these crises?
The governor under section 215 (4) says the governor will give directives to the commissioner of police to maintain law and order. But in this case the police refused to take instructions from the governor and were rather taking sides with Wike which is unconstitutional. They were also biased. It was so obvious. If you look at the crisis it was like a preplanned event. If you look at it, as soon as they left people came in and started burning, causing problems. The police have a constitutional role to maintain law and order. They were to maintain peace, not to take sides but in the case of Rivers State it was obvious to everybody that they were partial. The leadership of Nigeria Delta did not rest until the fortnight when the National security Adviser (NSA) gave directives to the IGP before he withdrew tactical support for the other group. How canpeople be destroying things and the police are there? They folded their hands and did nothing. Nigeria police should not fold their hands and watch people commit crime. People were shooting guns and the Nigerian police is empowered by law to arrest those people and nobody has been arrested, nothing has happened because they are not supporting the governor but supporting somebody outside the government. It is not fair. There are other elections across the country and there was nothing like that, why is Rivers State different? If I had my way I think the IGP should be sanctioned.
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In the spirit of moving forward to restore peace within the state, what are lessons that have been learnt and what are some of the advice for the players in Rivers State at the moment?
The lesson learnt is humility. Everybody should be humble. “Thou shall not boast of tomorrow”. Somebody boasted he would do this, he would do that, he would show this, hewould show that and at the end of the day all the boasting became nullity. The bible is against boasting. You don’t need to boast about tomorrow. Tomorrow has its own course. Tomorrow has proved that the boasting is nothing. All the boasting has amounted to nothing. Can’t you learn from that and come to make peaceand surrender. The former governor has been defeated. He has made himself demystified. People thought he was invisible, now he is visible. He was mighty but now he is nobody. I don’t see how Tinubu can still keep him because if Tinubu is hoping to get Rivers State through Wike it is most unfortunate, hecan’t get that. It has been proven that hecannot even win his ward. Somebody who cannot win his ward, what is the vote for? We should not boast about tomorrow. We should humble ourselves before God and man. Let us try to do what is right. Play your role as a masquerade, and when you have played your role you leave for others to also play their roles. It is not to be causing confusion, shooting guns because you have power or because you are a minister or because you have money, stolen money. These are the things that will go as vanity upon vanity. Solomon saw all these and said, “Everything is vanity” We will all pass through this world and go. Great men came and left. Alexander the Great and others, they have gone. We will also go. So, why are we killing ourselves over nothing? You were a governor for eight years and you are gone. Someone else is here, allow him to govern. Rivers people can judge him. If he performs well, if he doesn’tperform well, they will score him. It is not to cause confusion everywhere. I will appeal to Wike and his team, please we are one Rivers people, let’s work together. Let us make peace in Rivers State so that the state can grow.
In order to maintain the peace agreement what needs to be done, who are the people that should be involved and what discussions need to be heard, knowing that Wike seems to be losing out in this battle, what is the future for him within Rivers State according to Rivers people?
There is no victor, there is no vanquish. The Governor is willing to accommodate everybody. He wants everybody to come together. The elders of Rivers State are ready to make peace for two of them if Wike will submit himself. We don’t need any war. War will not help us. What can develop the Rivers State is peace. Rivers State was at par with Lagos State, but Lagos has gone far ahead of us. We must concentrate to see how we can build our economy. We have the oil, everything is around us yet we are not developing. Poverty is all over the place. Let us make peace, advise the former governor in any way he feels hecan. We need peace. If Wike says he wants to fight, he will lose. What does he have? We have seen his strength. Nigerians have seen his strength. He has no strength. He has nobody behind him, only the thugs are working with him and they will fade away. The best solution and my advice to him is to make peace. Simi is the governor of Rivers State. People of Rivers State have supported him. The Niger Delta people have supported him, Nigerians have supported him and the Ijaw nation are behind him. I want to tell you something, the Ijaws are in 12 local government areas. They have the population. They allowed Ikwerre to govern. When hebehaves like this he is only giving the Ikwerres a bad name, which is not fair. The attitude of Wike and others is making people to blame Graham Douglas for the good thing he did by allowing others to rule. Let us come back as one family and ensure that peace reigns. Let us develop Rivers State. The local government election has come and gone and if you don’tlike it go to court. The Chief Justice has already set up a committee to look into it. But the law is very clear, if you didn’tcontest an election you cannot challenge the election. So if you didn’t contest an election how do you want to challenge the election? Local Government election is under the state High Court. It is not under the Federal High Court. We don’t know what the Federal High Court is doing with Local Government elections. The electoral act is very clear, you cannot stop an election. No court has the right to stop an election. Even section 205 is very clear that if a governor gives directive to the police, no court has the right to interfere or to investigate it, which is the power of the governor. Let everyone who doesn’t understand the rules go to the constitution, go to the electoral act and understand it clearly. The governor conducted the election and it was accepted by Rivers people. They came out in their numbers and voted. Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people. The people have spoken, let us obey it. Let there be peace, come together as one family so that we can move on. The Governor’s arms are open. He still loves Wike. Despite all that Wike does to him hestill loves Wike. I don’tknow why Wike hates him so much. It’s all about pride. Let him leave pride, come down, let’s work together and develop Rivers State.
What advice do you have for Fubara?
My advice to the governor is to see that he is the father of the state. He shouldembrace everybody but should be very careful. He should be very careful with the kind of people that he relates with. He is not somebody who talks too much. He has a lot of wisdom.
