Emergency Rule in Rivers: You Lack Moral Authority to Criticize Tinubu, Igbini Tackles Amaechi.

Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy, VATLAD has faulted former Governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amaechi for condemning President Tinubu’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State and in the process suspend the Governor and the members of the House of Assembly.

Executive Director of VATLAD, Comrade Igbini Odafe Emmanuel in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, expressed worry that such
strong words shouldn’t come from former Governor Amaechi who attacked and shut down the Nigerian Judiciary in Rivers State for over one year only because of protection of his personal political interest.

“While I do not want to use this Press Statement to discuss the merit or otherwise of the decision of President Tinubu to declare state of emergency in Rivers State and suspend Governor Fubara and the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I however want to state unequivocally that the statement by Rotimi Amaechi amounts to insulting the collective intelligence of Nigerians and a display of arrogance due to the fact he was the same man who in year 2014 when he was still Governor of Rivers State went to the ridiculous extent to attacking the Nigerian Judiciary by shutting down the entire Judicial Arm of Government of Rivers State for over one year. His only reason is that he perceived that there was an alleged plot by the President Jonathan’s led PDP/FG to use the Judiciary to impeach and remove him from Office.

“And for this he kept the State’s Judiciary under lock and key till he left Office on May 29, 2015 at the end of his two terms.

Igbini also indicated that hundreds of inmates on Awaiting Trial and those to be released or granted Bail suffered extra one year in Prisons in the State.

“The case was the same with those who had served their terms in prison and were due to be set free by the Courts but they suffered extra year because they courts were shut by Amaechi. Other litigants suffered huge losses.

Igbini cited other cases where thousands of Nigerians particularly Rivers people living in Rivers State suffered varying degrees of Injustices and loses as a result of the worst level of gross misconduct and executive rascality displayed by Amaechi who himself became Governor without being a Candidate and on the Election Campaign but only because the Supreme Court of Nigeria ordered that he be sworn in as Governor.

“When he willfully carried out such an unimaginable level of gross misconduct against the Nigerian Constitution and the Nigerian Judiciary he did not call on Governors of Nigeria to rise to halt the descent and his unconstitutional and unlawful action.

“In sane society where Constitutional Democracy prevails, he should have been outrightly barred for many years from occupying any public office to serve as deterrent to others.

Igbini called on Nigerians, the Nigerian Judiciary and Media to rise to remind former Governor Amaechi of his past and demand that he tenders unreserved Apology for his unlawful action.

“This is not a time for Nigerians to allow and tolerate politicians who lack moral authority to speak on some issues of national importance to come deceive them to believing that they are better alternatives come 2027.

“If Nigerians are dissatisfied with the leadership style of President Tinubu they should be free to choose any other replacement but certainly not choose those who are worse and with worse records in public office,he added .