Olu Samuel

The Senator representing Kogi west, Sunday Karimi has said that President Tunubu acted fast to save Nigeria’s economy by declaring state of emergency on Rivers State.

“President Bola Tinubus decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State have wider political and economic safeguards for both the state and the county at large.”

Senator Sunday Karimi who chairs the Senate Services committee, in a statement on Friday in Lokoja said that the President acted in the best interest of the state and Nigeria, having taken his decision in compliance with the constitution.

“No President or government worth it’s name, will fold its arms and watch a political situation deteriorate to what we saw in Rivers State. We saw that bombing of pipelines had begun, and the security situation was getting worse with the tension everywhere”, Karimi stated.

He recalled the “fatherly role” Tinubu had played in the crisis since 2023 in a bid to get the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, to reach an understanding, to no avail.

He explained, “We were all here in 2023 when Mr President called that truce meeting at the Aso Rock Villa. There was the eight-point agenda for settlement reached between the factions.

“When Nigerians expected that progress should be made to achieve peace, things started deteriorating considerably to a point where the governor demolished the House of Assembly building and administered the state with only three legislators.”

Karimi observed that with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court, which gave the upper hand to the 27 lawmakers loyal to the camp of the FCT Minister, matters merely got worse in the state as the lawmakers were set to impeach the governor.

“What did you expect would be the implications? There would have been more destruction, killings and economic losses for the country.

“With the bombings that had already started, it was a matter of time before the whole state would be engulfed in flames. No responsible President would sit, arms folded, and allow that to happen “ he added.

The senator further argued that it took “painstaking efforts” by the administration to raise daily crude oil production to around 1,800 barrels, noting that Nigeria’s economy was already “witnessing a rebound under the renewed hope projects of the government.”

“Allowing the situation in Rivers to get worse before he would act, wouldn’t have helped the state or Nigeria as a country in any way.

“Mr. President intervened at the right time, and his actions are covered by law”, he said.

Karimi also spoke on the emergency declaration done in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and a couple of other states by former President Goodluck Jonathan without removing the governors from office or suspending the state assemblies.

According to him, the case with those states was not generated by political crises but rather security concerns.

“So, I will advise those comparing the two scenarios to remember that one was purely about security threats resulting from the insurgency caused by Boko Haram, while that of Rivers is clearly political.

“It was the proper thing to do to suspend the political actors in the two factions to allow for tensions to diffuse. Nigerians should appreciate the President for the action he has taken so far,”, he stated.

He also noted that there was no cause for alarm as the National Assembly has indicated that the emergency rule could be reviewed as soon as there were signs that things could quickly normalise in Rivers State.