Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee in Rivers State Chief Tony Okocha has described the political crisis in the state as unnecessary, adding, however, that the state is sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
According to Okocha, the decision of Governor Similaye Fubara to ignore most of the agreement reached with President Bola Tinubu will put the state on fire.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Okocha said since the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly are now overriding the decision of the governor, he care it not taken, the state will soon be thrown into more crisis.
“The political crisis in the state is unnecessary. After the burning of our iconic State Assembly Complex, he went to present a budget to four lawmakers who passed it at a speed faster than the speed of light. A budget on which the state will be run for the next one year was passed in one day.
“The process of lawmaking we all know, it has to pass through first reading, Second reading, Committee state, third reading before passage.
“It is a law to be made so these processes cannot be ignored but they rushed through it in their wishy washy approach in the budget presentation and I hear he has signed it into law,” Okocha said while advising the governor to implement all the agreements reached with President Tinubu.
“He has compounded the problem in Rivers State,” Okocha said of the Governor adding that as the Chairman of APC in Rivers State, it is within my right and duty to speak out.
“Our people are crying but do they have the platform that we have no, we have to speak for them. That is why I commend the People’s Democratic Party Governors Forum, they were critical of my President suggesting that the APC Government is not doing well and that it should sit up. That is what democracy is all about. Democratic is not about praise singing or healing accolades on. Leadership is not the type that I know,” Okocha said of what is happening in Rivers State.
“The governor orchestrated this problem after which he called on the president to intervene. I was at the meeting with the president and other stakeholders where the governor signed the proclamation document. He assaulted democracy.
“There is no way four lawmakers can be greater than 27, Rivers State has 31 lawmakers.
“One third of 31 is at least 10, if the governor refuses to sign a legislation into law, the legislators have the power to override him,” Okocha said, advising the governor to retrace his steps, stick to the terms of the agreement he signed.
“Let him implement the agreement accordingly for the benefit of the state in particular and the country in general,” Okocha added.
