CONCERN AND CONDEMNATION
As an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), we are concerned and alarmed about the worsening political crisis in Rivers State. We condemn the recent avoidable and unnecessary violence in the State House of Assembly with all the unfortunate attendant injuries and bloodletting.
1999 Constitution spells out the functions of the State Legislature. The functions which include making laws for good governance have nothing to do with show of shame of Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th July, 2013 in Rivers State House of Assembly. The televised violence is not about minimum wage, health or education. To this extent, it is condemnable and unacceptable. Procedures for removal and appointment of the house leaders in 1999 Constitution do not include mace snatching and mutually destructive violence.
Democracy is a majoritarian system. Democracy is NOT democracy when five legislators allegedly hold 27 legislators to ransom. It is a dictatorship of the minority.
COMMENDATION
We commend both the Senate and the House of Representatives who have demonstrated democratic sensitivity and risen to safeguard the democratic institution (Rivers State House of Assembly) through resolutions that include resolving the crisis between governor Rotimi Amaechi and the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mbu. An injury to one democratic institution and actor is an injury to all democratic institutions.
PRESIDENT JONATHAN AND STATESMANSHIP
President Goodluck Jonathan and members of his Executive have the constitutional responsibility to protect all democratic institutions. It is reassuring to read from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs Dr. Doyin Okupe that the President was not involved in Rivers political crisis. The Presidency ought not to be counted in organized violence. Indeed, the President has the responsibility to prevent this unfortunate development through a transparent statesmanship that promotes the bigger picture of deepening democracy and sustaining peace in a region like Niger-Delta that is just coming out of conflicts.
ROLE OF THE POLICE
Since the assumption of Office, the Inspector General of Police, Abubakar Mohammed has commendably taken a lot of progressive steps to reposition the Nigerian Police Force NPF). However, the acid test for Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is management of political crisis. Regrettably, the Police seems to be caught in partisan fire works in Rivers State where repeatedly the Governor has cried out that his life is not safe and even called for the removal of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu. It is reassuring that the Inspector General of Police is investigating the role of the Commissioner in the recent crisis. The point cannot be overstated; NPF is Nigeria Police Force, not Executive police, Legislative police or hired policemen. The police has the responsibility to swim above partisan water or risk crisis of confidence by all.
NIGERIA SHOULD AVOID ROAD TO EGYPT
We call on all political actors to look at bigger picture which is the future of Nigeria’s democracy. It is generalized anarchy that made the opportunistic military to take over Egypt’s democratic order overthrowing a democratically elected President Mohammed Morsi and engaging in mass arrests of politicians and shooting protesters.
Egyptians ordinarily should learn from Nigeria given our chequered rich record of democratic contestation and cooperation since 1999 (past 14 years).
We have to urgently return to democratic politics which is about contestation, debate, cooperation and compromise and resist the temptation of sliding into chaos, political assassinations and violence of recent past.
President Jonathan should avoid a degeneration to the dark discredited era of former President Olusegun Obasanjo during which some states were under siege; a Governor was kidnapped (Anambra) and two governors of Bayelsa and Plateau States serially removed at gun-points.
Issa Aremu mni
VICE PRESIDENT NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC)
GENERAL SECRETARY, NATIONAL UNION OF TEXTILE GARMENT AND TAILORING WORKERS OF NIGERIA (NUTGTWN)
