Northern Caucus in the House of Representatives has backed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency in Rivers State, dismissing coalition of opposition political parties’ stand.
Chairman and leader of the Caucus and Kano lawmaker, Alhassan Doguwa, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the government could not sit down and allow hoodlums and politically motivated thugs continue to destroy critical national assets at the expense of national economy.
Mr Doguwa accused the suspended Governor Sim Fubara and some other interest outside the state of having knowledge of destructions of critical infrastructure in the oil and gas sector in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the coalition of opposition party leaders must live above partisan lines and be wary of the fact that the laws of the land are unambiguously sacrosanct and can not be contemplated by anyone.
“In view of the ongoing discourse on the State of emergency in Rivers state, we are compelled to state clearly that the steps taken by Mr. President and C in C of the federal republic of Nigeria are apt, timely and constitutionally appropriate.
“We as a legislative institution will not allow Mr. Presidents constitutional declaration of emergency to fail.
“The opposition are simply trying to be political about this matter. While we are not insensitive to the constitutional imperatives and implications involved, we will not however ignore or take for granted the derailment of law and order in Rivers state.
“We can not also as a legislative house or as a government sit down and allow miscreants, hoodlums, and politically motivated thugs continue to destroy critical national assets at the expense of our national economy.
“What is happening today by way of destructions of critical infrastructure in the oil and gas sector is allegedly with the conspiracy of the suspended Governor of the state and some politically motivated players outside Rivers state.
“In the circumstances therefore, I would like to on behalf of the northern regional Caucus of the 10th House of Representatives, state that we are in total support of of the state of emergency declared by Mr. President in the discharge of his constitutional powers as clearly stated in section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
While responding to positions taken by the coalition of political leaders, Mr Doguwa said: “The legislative institution of our country to we are collectively members, are in this case guided by our moral conscience, commitments to protecting democratic ideals, respect for our supreme legal document and of course by historical precedence.
“Nigeria is indeed greater than any selfish coalition and its conspiracies. The constitutional proclamation of emergency in Rvers state must stand.”
