Caution in Rivers

The signs coming from Rivers State are ominous. The state has been consistently slipping into anarchy, and the ugly trend must be halted now by all means.

For some time now, politicians in various camps have turned the state into a battle ground for their own selfish reasons. Jobless youths are being empowered to unleash mayhem on real and perceived political foes. Sadly, these youths are being used as canon fodders by their paymasters.

We are indeed concerned by the increasing violence in the state and its consequence on the lives of the innocent citizens and residents of the state. Since last year, Rivers has not known peace occasioned by the activities of politicians. What began like a child’s play has suddenly assumed a deadly dimension, claiming lives and posing serious threats to peaceful existence in the state.

First, it was the suspension of the Obio/Akpor local government chairman by the state House of Assembly, which allegedly had the signature of Rotimi Amaechi, governor of the state; the sack of Godspower Ake by court as the state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the suspension of Amaechi by the national secretariat of the party for alleged failure to recall the suspended chairman. There is also the issue of Soku Oil wells which the Rivers State governor is alleging was unjustly ceded to Bayelsa State. There are series of other happenings in the state culminating in the recent defection of the governor from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The recent High Court bombing and the last Sunday’s attack on Magnus Abe, a senator representing Rivers South East senatorial zone, have also shown the level of desperation for power in the state.

We are aware that anywhere in the world, even in advanced democracies, politicians differ on matters of interest, but it is their ability to sink or rise above such differences that grows their democracy and also deepens their democratic values and culture.We are alarmed and deeply worried at the way Nigerian politicians trivialise democracy and also personalise democratic institutions, making it extremely difficult for democracy to grow and mature in this country several years after the exit of white man for us ‘to do it ourselves’.

Much as we are not interested in who is actually responsible for the Rivers’ crisis, because we believe that foul is fair and fair is foul, in this instance, we are nonetheless concerned about the implications of this macabre dance on democracy, governance and security of lives and property in the state. Not long ago, the legislators fought dirty over the control of the Assembly, a fracas that left many injured and still a legal issue at the moment. On Tuesday, July 16, 2013, four visiting governors from the northern part of the country were attacked by protesters at the Port Harcourt airport.

Furthermore, we condemn the abuse of the security institution which, regrettably, has been abused, and  wrongly deployed as an instrument of politicking and vendetta in this country. The Nigeria Police is a national institution that should be neutral and apolitical, providing security for every Nigerian irrespective of his tribe, religion or political leaning. The aloofness, or complicity as in the case of Abe’s shooting, of the police, especially at the highest level, in the face of the breakdown of law and order in Rivers State amounts to dereliction of duty and we are of the opinion that somebody should be made to pay dearly for that action or inaction.

The signs are steadily unfolding. Rivers state may be one of the theatres of the much predicted political quagmire, crisis and violence that may come with  the march towards Nigeria’s 2015, if our political gladiators who do not see beyond their parochial interests don’t sheath their swords.