• I’m impartial in political crisis, says Ibas
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has condemned the actions of the interim administrator appointed for Rivers State, retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, for systematically dismantling democratic structures in the state. According to HURIWA, the administrator’s actions are reprehensible and unconstitutional.
The organisation bemoaned the administrator for tearing down official portraits of Governor Siminalayi Fubara from public buildings, describing the act as a blatant disregard for democracy.
The group, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, believed that the military administrator’s attempt to supplant the elected governor’s government was unconstitutional and should be resisted by the people of Rivers State.
“We in HURIWA and about 36 other registered non-governmental organisations reject the unconstitutional overreach and the systematic power grab effort by someone who proudly told us that he served Nigeria for 40 years and was unblemished before he left the military as the nation’s naval chief.
“We are, by this media advisory, asking Ibas to preserve his good name and reputation by rejecting his current politically charged assignment that is completely against the spirit, the principle and the essence of the grundnorm. We urge him to stop being used to destroy democracy in Rivers state,” Onwubiko said.
HURIWA also observed that the administrator has demonstrated his aversion to the rule of law by flouting an extant order of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Division, which stopped him from appointing unelected local council administrators.
He added: “HURIWA strongly condemns this illegal occupant of the position of the administrator of Rivers State who has demonstrated that he is so power hungry and is out for systematic power grab. We condemn, as reprehensible, despicable and unconstitutional, the decision by the sole administrator to make fresh appointments into the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission even when there are electoral commissioners and chairman whose tenure hasn’t elapsed.”
MEANWHILE, Ibas has declared his impartial stance in the political crisis rocking the state. He vowed to uphold the law and ensure that all aggrieved parties, irrespective of political leanings, have a voice in the future.
He made the appeal at a meeting with the heads of youth organisations and stakeholders, led by the Rivers State Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Nwisabari Bani, at the Government House in Port Harcourt, on Saturday.
According to the sole administrator, “It is important to restate my impartial stand on the political crisis that has plagued our State.
“I remain committed to upholding the law and ensuring that all individuals, irrespective of their political affiliations, have a voice in the future of Rivers State. My administration will continue to focus on the collective good of our people.”
