Patience Jonathan blames elders for fuelling Rivers crisis
Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience
Jonathan, on Monday faulted the contributions of some unnamed persons
she referred to as “otherwise respected elders” who, by their views, had
been contributing to the crisis in Rivers State.
While describing their utterances as
unfortunate, she called on all feuding parties in the state to sheathe
their swords in the interest of innocent women and children, who, she
said, would naturally be victims of the mayhem.
The president’s wife’s position was contained in a statement by her spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu.
The statement read, “We therefore call
on elders of the state to position themselves appropriately in the
circumstances, and continue to seek the highest good of Rivers State and
its people, by stone-walling the activities of the few, who would
rather fan little embers into a consuming inferno.
“Recent experience whereby certain
otherwise respected elders of the country, both from within and outside
Rivers State, were canvassing views that seemed to intensify the heat in
Rivers State, is certainly unfortunate.”
Mrs. Jonathan, who has been roundly
criticised as one of the masterminds of the crisis alongside her
husband, called on warring politicians in the state to spare a thought
for the social, political and economic costs of the crisis, and consider
an urgent way to resolve all political differences.
She warned all stakeholders to ensure
that the situation in the state did not degenerate to a level that could
be hijacked by miscreants and hoodlums, thus exposing everyone to
insecurity from which there might be no easy escape. Chukwudi Akasike,
Port Harocurt
Meanwhile, the senator, representing
Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has
declared that no amount of opposition can remove the Rivers State
Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
Abe, who bared his mind on the political
crisis rocking the state, on Monday, explained that any move to impeach
Amaechi would not succeed because the governor was “ordained by God.”
Speaking during the presentation of
scholarship to 77 university undergraduates from Rivers South-East in
Khana Local Government Area, Abe appealed to the people of the state not
to be distracted by the political situation in the state.
He said, “We are living at a time when
politicians of all shades are going around collecting young people,
collecting people’s children; daughters and sons to help them pursue
their personal ambitions or their public aspirations.”
Also, 17 suspended councillors of
Obio/Akpor Local Government Area have faulted the resolution of the
House of Representatives to take over the affairs of the Rivers State
House of Assembly.
Members of the House of Assembly had
engaged one another in a free-for-all, following an attempt by five
lawmakers to impeach the Speaker of the 32-member House, Mr. Otelemaba
Amachree.
The councillors, who were suspended
alongside the chairman of the council, Mr. Timothy Nsirim, and his vice,
Mr. Solomon Eke, for an alleged financial recklessness and abuse of
office, described the resolution of the federal lawmakers as hasty and
selective.
Speaking with newsmen in Orazu,
Obio/Akpor on Monday, Chief Whip of the Obio/Akpor Legislative Assembly,
Mr. Aruchi Amechi, argued that the councillor should have been
protected when they were suspended by the House of Assembly.
Amechi said, “We express reservation
over the selective manner the House of Representatives decided to
intervene in the State House of Assembly matter. While our legislative
council was first hit, our senior colleagues did not deem it fit to come
to our aid.”
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