Emergence Of Political Crisis In Rivers

As Nigerians plan an emerging transition programme to hand-over governance to the newly elected President, General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on May 29th 2015, it is becoming apparent that the human condition of life in Rivers State may be plunged into advent of political crisis.

This according to critics is the result of a void of effective and competent political leadership tendencies being orchestrated by the out-going administration in Rivers State.

Recently, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), announced the approval of Government to conduct the local government polls to elect new local government chairmen and councilors in twenty-two (22) out of the Twenty-Three (23) local government areas of Rivers State.

The proposed local government election according to Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) is slated to hold on May, 23rd 2015 … against the background of controversies that followed the March 28th 2015 – presidential election, that returned General Buhari, as Nigeria’s President-elect.

Critics across the state are of the view that the schedule of local government polls fixed for 23rd May, 2015 is ill-timed, describing the fixture as a mission designed to plunge Rivers State, into a state of confusion likely to create an avoidable eruption of violence. At the moment, the law abiding Rivers people and other nationalities in Rivers State, are widely expressing fear of terrorism, reprisal attacks, ethnic clashes and above all an inevitable economic collapse.

This scenario if not properly handled in the spirit of peace and sportsmanship, may be bloody. As a matter of fact, opinion poll in all the twenty-three (23) local government areas of Rivers State, portends outright disillusionment. People are beginning to lose hope for the security of their lives. For example, young people who are mostly affected are wondering why political leaders are so criminally reckless to want to control the peoples power by all means.

It is unfortunate and indeed regrettable to note that the outgoing administration in Rivers State, is so deep-necked in the on going political competitiveness, that the resources accruing to the state are not enough at the moment to maintain the government service systems involving salary payment and execution of other capital state projects.

For instance, it is the height of executive rascality, so to speak that pensioners in Rivers State, have not been paid their monthly pension since January, 2015. Indeed this has sent so many of the aged, who have meritoriously served the government, using thirty-five prospective years of their youthful age into their early graves. The serving workforce is not speared either, as over-head costs of government functionaries are being withheld for months. Worst of it, workers salaries are irregular in their deductions, and often not paid regularly.

Farmers and traders are also experiencing the apparent economic crunch, as only few privilege persons can afford the require three square daily meals and other necessities of life.

People, are angry about this seeming inability to maintain their lives. In fact, a growing bitterness now pervades the entire Rivers State and it spills over into domestic violence and ethnic strife that does nobody any good. Sometimes, the people take their bitterness out on the society through destructive lifestyle and actions, which often embarrasses the public. It is the view of the writer, that political leaders in Rivers State, should sheath their swords for maximum peace to reign supreme.

Rivers people should at this point emulate the exemplary behavior of President Goodluck Jonathan, for conceding without objecting to myriads of perceived election irregularities that returned General Buhari as the president-elect in the presidential polls conducted on 28th March 2015.

It is pertinent to call on all aggrieved politicians, to free their minds off a self-centered environment and to go out collectively to move Rivers State forward.

Though in times like this, lawyers are bound to list a number of technicalities and possibly proffer ways for aggrieved persons to sue opponents in protest of their political self-interests.

But judging from widespread credence and commendations made by international monitors/observers, who described the Professor Jega-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) … conduct in the 2015 presidential polls, as credible, it is expected that aggrieved members of various political parties, should by now let go perceived but rather unfounded irregularities of the elections to keep the global honour bestowed on Nigeria.

Time has come for leaders to develop the attitude of placing the masses first before their individual interest. Let us therefore learn to be our brother’s keeper for the interest of posterity. Very importantly, we should try as much as we can, to eschew violence likely to degenerate to full blown wars that may lead to waste of dear lives.

At the moment, what the people need is proper and effective, efficient, spiritually sensitive, genuine leadership at all levels of party politics in order to stay united as a people in the polity of Nigeria.

Let us therefore shun any unpopular act that is likely to forment disorder in Rivers State.

For the avoidance of this ugly human condition of violence to strive, it is the candid expression of critics and other stakeholders that the government of Rivers State should concern itself with the emerging transition plans of the federal government of President Goodluck Jonathan than to go on with its ill-timed plans to conduct the local government polls fixed for 23rd May 2015.

Fuayefika, a public affairs analyst, writes from Port Harcourt

Tonye Fuayefika