Caretaker Committee Chairman of APC in Rivers, Chief Tony Okocha, says unless Gov. Siminalayi Fubara abides by the law, the political crisis in the state will persist.

Okocha said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja while reacting to the recent court ruling on the state with regards to the disbursement of local government allocations.

An Abuja Federal High Court had, on Wednesday, retrained the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from further releasing local government allocations from the Federation Account to the state.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in her ruling, held that the presentation of the 2024 budget by Fubara before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to constitutional provisions.

She described Fubara’s receipt and disbursement of monthly allocations since January 2024 as nothing short of a constitutional aberration that must not be allowed.

The judge further held that Fubara’s action in implementing an unlawful budget stood as a gross violation of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.

Okocha, in his reaction, said blackmailing President Bola Tinubu and Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over the court ruling would not solve the political crisis in the state.

He described Fubara as Wike’s political investment who was a mere civil servant before he was lifted from a state of relative political obscurity to political crescendo by the FCT minister.

Okocha further stated that the governor was brought to politics and limelight by Wike.

“Wike is not, in any way, suffocating Fubara as is being alleged.

“Blackmailing President Tinubu and Wike psychologically over the recent court ruling will not help the case in Rivers because the law has to be followed.

“We stand with and by the court, and not with any strong man’s morality. It is not right for anyone to start proclaiming self-righteousness.

“Wike is innocent in the political crisis in Rivers and should, therefore, not be dragged into it,” Okocha said.

He said the only way to bring peace to the state was for Fubara to follow the law and abide by the court ruling, adding that “the law does not recognise sentiments but facts as presented.

“Wike brought Fubara to where he is today. He lifted him from obscurity to political crescendo. Nobody is suffocating anybody. The fight in Rivers state is between Fubara and Fubara,” he said.

The APC chairman added that the political crisis would have long ended if Fubara had obeyed Tinubu’s intervention in the first place.

According to him, Fubara has been running the state without an approved budget, which is against the law.

He said it was unfortunate that those playing up unnecessary sentiments and backing the governor failed to see the illegality going on under his administration.

The way out of the political crisis, according to him, is for the governor to obey the law of the land, including the law regarding the state budget.

“We use this opportunity to speak against attempts to disparage innocent persons, namely: Nyesom Wike, the FCT minister. In all the cases in court, they are about 32, he is not a party to any of them.

“If the governor had obeyed Justice Omotoso’s judgment; if he had listened to the counsel of President Tinubu; if he had listened to the Court of Appeal recently, all of these would have disappeared,” Okocha stated.

On the recent attempt by some stakeholders and elders in the Niger Delta zone to reconcile the gladiators in Rivers crisis, Okocha said such a move was too late.

He added that there was no point crying over spilt milk, wondering where those elders were when the political crisis started.

“If you ask me, the only other hurdle to escape is the Supreme Court. What are the elders coming to do at this late hour, if they actually would want to come?

“They are the same people who told the governor that he is a know-all and do-all; they encouraged him to believe that his head was bigger than his pillow.

“They told him his powers are elastic and the governor agreed to that,” he said.

Okocha added that most of the elders had disappeared into thin air after lining their pockets while the governor was now on the hot seat.(NAN)

  Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, on Friday, said he assented to 18 Executive Bills in his one year in office.

Nwifuru made the disclosure in a speech at the 2024/2025 Judiciary Year celebration in Abakaliki.

He said that his administration had so far employed at least 150 judiciary staff.

He also said that the judiciary would remain the last beacon of hope, fairness and justice to all citizens.

The governor expressed the need to uphold the integrity of the Bench “to do justice to all men without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”.

Nwifuru described the theme of the celebration, “Law as an Instrument for Social Engineering” as apt in shaping the society.

“I commend the organisers for echoeing the power of law, which our government wholeheartedly believes is critical to social engineering.

“In the context of the law, it is critical in shaping societal behavior, norms and values.

“As social engineers, legal professionals have the power to advocate for reforms that address the pressing issues of our time, setting the foundation for a society that is equitable and just for all.

“The judicial arm of the
government remains the only and last beacon of hope, fairness and justice  to all citizens,” he said.

According to him, the legal profession has a vital role to play in promoting the cause of justice, protecting human rights and upholding professional standards.

“It is for this purpose that the Government of Ebonyi has been quite responsive, supportive and understanding on many issues that affect the judiciary.

“I want to assure you that within the limit of our resources, we shall continue to strive to improve on the welfare of our judges, magistrates and, indeed, the entire workforce of the judiciary,” the governor said.

Earlier, the state Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Elvis Ngene, thanked the governor for his support to the development of the judiciaryand pledged more commitment to qualitative justice delivery system.

Ngene said that 13,919 cases were pending in the High Court at the beginning of last legal year.

“A total of 5,343 cases were filed.

“The cases disposed off stands at 10,250 and the pending cases at the close of the period is 9,012.

“At the Magistrate’s Court, 4,213 cases were pending at the beginning of the period, 2,145 were filed, 2,318 were disposed off and 4,040 were pending at the end of the period under review.

“At the Customary Court of Appeal, 893 cases were pending at the beginning of the last legal year, 71 were filed within the period.

“A total of 86 cases were disposed off and 878 were pending at the end of the period,” the CJ said. (NAN)

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Kogi State House of Assembly has appealed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to consider the renovation of Abejukolo General Hospital, Basic Healthcare and Educational facilities affected by the recent crisis in Omala Local Government Area of the State.The lawmakers made the appeal during the House plenary sitting on Thursday in a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Omala State Constituency, Hon Umar Yahaya.