The Rivers Elders and Leaders’ Forum (RELF) has said that governor Siminalayi Fubara, lacks the constitutional powers to implement the presidential peace resolution endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday on behalf of the group, former governor of Old Rivers State, Chief Rufus Ada-George, said the people of the state were not represented during the peace meeting in Abuja.
Ada-George said Rivers elders have already written to Tinubu and Fubara, demanding that they obey the rule of law while trying to instill political peace in the state.
He said the decision to write the President and the Governor was an outcome of a review of Fubara’s Christmas Day broadcast, where he promised to implement the eight-point peace terms of the President between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and himself.
The former governor, who insisted that their intentions is to ensure peace and stability in the state, queried if the president has the powers to overrule the decision of a court of competent jurisdiction through such intervention.
He further said that the peace pact has not restored peace in the state.
Ada-George said: “We would like to commend Your Excellency, for heeding to our call; to help mediate in the political rift between Barr. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Sir Siminialayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State. However, as a people, we are now at a loss as to whether your intervention has helped in quelling the crisis or escalated it.
“For us, as custodians of the Rivers people conscience and morality, we find the directive resolution document lopsided and skewed in favour of the interest of your current Minister, Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike, to the detriment of the Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, the governance of the state and the interest of the generality of the good people of Rivers State.”
He lamented that Rivers stakeholders and interest groups were not represented at the peace talks.
Ada-George said: “The composition and attendance showed lack of balance between the two warring factions. The faction recognized by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Elders of Rivers State, traditional rulers, women and youth leadership, were not represented at the meeting.
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