Systematic tearing down of democratic structures in Rivers reprehensible, unconstitutional – HURIWA

Pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has lambasted the interim administrator appointed by the President Bola Tinubu for Rivers state, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas (rtd) in the way he has gone about demolishing all democratic structures in the state such as alleged tearing down of the official portraits of the democratically sitting Governor Siminialayi Fubara from public buildings.

HURIWA faulted the alleged attempt by the military administrator to sneak his way into the office of the civilian elected and inaugurated executive head of the government of Rivers state.

This is contained in a statement signed by the national coordinator of the HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and made available to PlatinumPost on Sunday.

“We in HURIWA and about 36 other registred Non governmental organisations, reject this unconstitutional overreach and the systematic power grab effort by someone who proudly told us that he served Nigeria for 40 whole years and was unblemished before he left the milieaey as the nation’s Naval Chief.

“We in HURIWA and our 36 affiliates, are by this media advisory asking the retired Naval General Ibok Ete-Ibas to preserve his good name and reputation by rejecting his current politically charged assignment that is completely against the spirit,the principle and the essence of the Grund Norm. We urge him to stop being used to destroy democracy in Rivers state.”

The group also said it has observed that the administrator has demonstrated his aversion for the rule of law by flouting an extant order of the Federal High Court, PortHarcourt division that stopped him from appointing unelected local government council administrators by proceeding to disregard the Court by appointing local government councils administrators.

“HURIWA strongly condemns this illegal occupant of the position of the administrator of Rivers state who has demonstrated that he is so power hungry and is out for systematic power grab. We condemn as reprehensible, despicable and unconstitutional the decision by this so-called sole administrator to appoint fresh appointees into the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission even when there are Electoral commissioners and Chairman whose tenure hasn’t elapsed.

“On which legal provision is this sole administrator relying upon to sack members of a statutory board such as the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission and why violate the constitutional provision that mandates that only elected officials should govern the Local Government Areas rather than the contraption of picking some unelected persons as Local council administrators? This is absolutely despicable and condemnable. This partisan insanity going on should be halted now,” it said.

HURIWA referenced another recent reported observation by a former top diplomatic official of Nigeria who served in several federal ministries as permanent secretary Dr. Godknows Igali who carpeted the Rivers state administrator for allegedly orchestrating a systematic tearing down of various structures, which are crucial for the continued consolidation of democracy in Rivers State even as we support Ambassador Igali’s caution against the undermining of democratic institutions in Rivers state.

HURIWA wondered whether the administrator whose period of assignment constitutionally shouldn’t exceed 6 months is already working with the mindset that the take over of government in Rivers state is total and irreversible.

“This undemocratic and primitive mindset must be condemned. The fact is that the validly recognised sitting governor of Rivers state remains Mr. Siminilayi Fubara until the expiration of his constitutional tenure because the elected and tenured president of Nigeria lacks the power to abridge the tenure of office of a sitting governor,” the group said.