Voice Vote On Rivers A Scam, Senators, Reps Murdered Democracy – Utomi

The suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly have been met with criticism from many Nigerians over the president’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State. Many people also dislike the National Assembly’s subsequent approval of the emergency rule. In this interview with Channels Television, Pat Utomi, a professor of political economics and the founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, shared his thoughts on the political developments in Rivers State.

Enjoy the quotes…

You haven’t concealed your disapproval of Rivers State’s president’s declaration of emergency. What has happened on the National Assembly floor surprised you, or not?

Nigerian democracy was assassinated. Even the way it treats the Nigerian people with such contempt because I don’t speak from a country that is a democracy, even because of how disrespectful it is. You’ll recall that many years ago when people were questioned about whether or not the third term would be implemented. To do what the lawmakers did was an insult to the people of Nigeria. The Nigerian people have been insulted repeatedly by the National Assembly. There is no longer a democracy in place.

Given that we don’t have a democracy, the question is how we should proceed. I shed tears for our adored nation. How could they have endured this for so long? When people like us put our lives on the line for this democracy, the majority of these characters were hiding, and now they have to make a mess of pottage, they are now laughing out loud. What a country’s tragedy! What a tragedy!

There wasn’t a single dissenting voice, but the Senate President Godswill Akpabio defended their right to vote.

Yes, I’ve heard the senate president request a voice vote before, but everyone responded with “no,” and he responded with “yes.” The entire thing is a scam on the Nigerian people because I have it on video and have seen it before. Sadly, I witness the political class of Nigerian institutions being destroyed. It may give them comfort and “personal victory,” but it also destroys the future of their children. I sincerely hope they realize that the National Assembly does not belong to any other category with checks and balances or oversight over the judiciary, and that it is a complete joke. We are laughed at by the rest of the world, which is a tragedy.

What precisely is unconstitutional about the emergency, as you have argued? Considering that some people claim that Section 305 gives the president the authority to declare a state of emergency.

What issue in River State warrants an immediate state of emergency? Tell me what it is. Was there a state of emergency in River State when pipelines blew like popcorn? When the Assembly was hurling back and forth, why did he (Tinubu) fail to declare a state of emergency in Lagos State? What causes rivers?

I don’t see it in this place because there is something about fairness, equity, and pure decency. It’s unfortunate that they want to denigrate the democracy that we all worked so hard for, but you know karma haunts everyone. Unfortunately, these kinds of people’s behavior in public life will keep us in poverty for a very long time.

Let’s be clear: you are not in favor of River State’s declaration of an emergency because the president claimed that there is no way for democratic governance to thrive with the persistent crisis. He claims that he is also fighting for river state democracy.

That is completely false. Edo State and Godwin Obaseki both experienced very similar circumstances. Godwin Obaseki did nothing that the chap in Port Harcourt did not do. Why did Edo State not declare a state of emergency?

Let’s face it, this is supposed to be a case of two fighting. Who are these two fighting? Let’s call them, and over what are they fighting, and why must a whole nation bear the brunt of these enormous egos that threaten everyone’s safety? For whatever it is that they assert is violating our constitution, be it what they say?

We don’t know anything about our constitution’s fathers or godfathers, and one man can decide whether to vote in his court while he is an active partisan. This is a tragic situation for our nation because the people of Nigeria sit back and watch.

Given that the two parties, the executive and the legislature, are at odds with one another, what options do you think the president has?

I want to ask you first to show me some examples of the states where the executive and legislative branches have disagreed and no one has declared an emergency. The opposition coalition recently released a statement criticizing the attorney general for daring to claim that the governor of Rivers State was in charge of pipeline explosions.

There was a time when Nigeria experienced a recession because pipelines were malfunctioning like Christmas crackers and there was no declaration of a state of emergency. Now, why? I find it to be illogical.

You can fool yourself into thinking that you are attracted to investment and that Nigeria is unattractive to investors with a simple choice. Everyone who is a serious investor picks it off, serious instability, and they’ve declared martial law in a region of the nation, in fact, the region that accounts for the bulk of their revenue flows.

I have no idea how we continue this masochistic behavior, load the machine, and go shoot ourselves in the foot because we can’t control our own political behavior. One person takes the place of the other in “two fighting,” as they say.

I can only apologise for the fact that the Nigerian people have inherited this kind of political class, and I can assure you that we won’t be a nation until we abolish it.

The president didn’t act on either of your two states, you cited. Does that indicate that something is wrong?

What object, then, was badly damaged enough for Edo State to warrant that? Because politicians don’t think more broadly when it comes to politics, I’ve just given you a small portion of the effects that decision had on the Nigerian economy.

Nigeria is irresponsible, which is why its economy is declining, its population is dying from hunger, and its land is in poverty. Instead of focusing on how to build a development-minded nation, people visit the National Assembly, denigrate their nation, and make it a desirable place to invest. I can assure you that there will be judgment.

What exactly is the issue, exactly? Is it the fact that the judiciary, the state of emergency, or the government of the day was declared in place?

There was no evidence to support declaring one, at all. There was no justification for a state of emergency because it was purposefully manufactured. There are even more difficult arguments that you could use to declare an emergency in Nigeria: banditry in the Northwest and all the things in the Northeast. No one intervened, so it is tragic that the conflict between two countries, where our country is considered a no-good place to conduct business, has been put on the international shelf.

Which course do you see going forward now that this emergency has been legitimized by the National Assembly?

Source: Channels TV