Former Bayelsa State governor and the senator representing Bayelsa West in the Nigerian Senate, Seriake Dickson, has commended the suspended Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara for remaining peaceful and calm “amidst unprecedented turbulence” in his state.
Senator Dickson, who visited the embattled governor at his residence in Port Harcourt at the weekend to show solidarity with him on his predicament, in a post on Facebook, said he and Fubara discussed “extreme political development in the state.”
Newsmata.com.ng reports that a state of emergency had been imposed on Rivers State by President Bola Tinubu and a sole administrator appointed to oversee the affairs of the state for an initial period of six months due to the political crisis that engulfed the state in the face of irreconcilable differences between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Dickson had been critical of Tinubu’s decision and the manner of its endorsement by the National Assembly.
The former Bayelsa governor’s Facebook post in which he shared pictures of the visit, further stated that “We discussed the extreme political developments in the state in the last couple of weeks. I appreciated his calmness and peaceful disposition in the midst of unprecedented turbulence.
“In our frank conversation, which was private, he expressed confidence in the ability of the institutions and leadership of the country to do what is right, and so do I”.
Senator Dickson similarly commended the people of Rivers State for maintaining peace amidst “extreme and rare political development”, noting, “It may very well be the peace of a graveyard which, any little trigger can alter the balance of peace in the state and across the Niger Delta region.
“In this regard, I want to appeal to all our people, the youths of Rivers State, and in particular the youths of Ijaw Nation, in Rivers State and across the Niger Delta, from Arugbo in Ondo State to Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State, to continue to be peaceful and resist any provocation or incitement to violence”.
Dickson also advised that “They should refrain from violence and destructive tendencies, particularly the destruction and vandalisation of strategic oil and gas infrastructure in the region, which tends to cause further pollution – damage to our already compromised environment, slow down the pace of economic development and activities in the region, and create fiscal challenges for the government at all levels in the country, especially at this time when the global economy is experiencing unprecedented instability with consequences for all nations.
“The Ijaw Nation is not at war with the President or the APC-led Federal Government. On the contrary, the Niger Delta and the Ijaw Nation have always stood for a restructured and truly federal Nigeria, where power is properly devolved, accelerated infrastructure and human capital development, environmental justice and fairness for all, and an inclusive Nigeria.
“On all these issues, we are encouraged to see the President as a partner from his antecedents and not a foe, irrespective of party differences as some may portray.”