Governors of Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Nasarawa, Imo, and Zamfara states have condemned the current crisis in Rivers State and urged all actors in the crisis to sheathe their swords.
Governors Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Dr Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) stated this when they paid a solidarity visit to their Rivers State counterpart and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday. The Governors of Imo, Nasarawa and Zamfara states were represented by their deputies.
Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, speaking on behalf of the governors said they came to express their support and solidarity with their Rivers State counterpart.
Fayemi said: “We are here in support and solidarity with the Governor (Amaechi), the government and the people of Rivers State in this very trying time. We are concerned as fellow governors representing our governments from all of the states you can see here. The tension in Rivers State is entirely avoidable and we want all parties to sheathe their swords and to help restore the peace and security of Rivers State.”
The governors expressed concern over the security situation of the governor and the people of the state. Only recently, soldiers attached to the Rivers State Government House were all withdrawn, as they urged President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the crisis using his moral authority to bring it to an end.
“We are here because we think security for us is far more of the major concern to the people of Nigeria. Our being here is just to stress the importance of our concern for the security of the citizens of Rivers State. For us, we believe that this is a matter that really requires the moral authority of Mr President as well. It is about deepening this democracy; it’s about ensuring that peace reigns, not just in Rivers State but in the whole country”.
They also urged the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to take necessary steps that would restore the confidence of the government and the people of the state in the State Police Command.
“We believe that the Inspector General of Police is very well placed to help take the necessary steps to restore the confidence of the government, of the governor and the people in the police in Rivers State”.
They said it is important for the Police IG to take those steps that would restore the confidence of Rivers people in the police, considering that their confidence in the police had waned over their questionable involvement in the Rivers crisis.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mukhtar Anka said as progressive governors, they were happy with the noticeable mass of support Governor Amaechi receives from his people and other loyalists in the country. He also agreed that the Rivers crisis is avoidable.
He said: “We being progressive governors, we met with our Chairman of Governors’ Forum and Rivers State Governor. We are very happy that we met him in high spirits and he is popular and he is moving with his people, we are very happy with that and we resolved and we advised him that he should meet with Mr. President to discuss with him so that we can find a way out of this crisis, which is avoidable and we believe that by his meeting with the President, we will find a way out of resolving this crisis in Rivers State to sustain the democracy in Nigeria”.
This would be the second solidarity visit this week by state governors to their Rivers State counterpart, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Those on the first solidarity visit to him included Jigawa, Kano, Adamawa and Niger State Governors.
