A legal practitioner, Obed Agu, has criticised the lingering political turmoil in Rivers State, warning that the ongoing crisis is undermining effective governance in the state.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Agu expressed disappointment that the Rivers State House of Assembly has continued with impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara despite the political intervention earlier initiated by President Bola Tinubu. According to him, the persistence of the legislative action sends the wrong signal at a time when stability and cooperation are urgently needed.
Agu noted that many Nigerians have openly called for a political, rather than confrontational, resolution to the crisis. He stressed that the situation has reached a point where it is becoming counterproductive to the overall interests of the state and its residents.
“I want to lend my voice to the majority of Nigerians who have called for a political solution to what is happening in Rivers State,” he said. “It is quite troubling that after the president took steps to address the issue politically, members of the House of Assembly are still pushing ahead with impeachment proceedings.”
He argued that the ongoing tension between the executive and legislative arms is distracting the government from focusing on development and service delivery. In his view, the continued power struggle is not in the best interest of Rivers State and only deepens political uncertainty.
Addressing the legal dimensions of the crisis, Agu explained that Nigeria’s Constitution clearly provides for the separation of powers among the executive, legislature, and judiciary. While each arm of government is empowered to carry out its constitutional responsibilities independently, he emphasized that the principle of checks and balances remains fundamental to democratic governance.
According to him, although courts cannot directly prevent any arm of government from performing its constitutional duties, they still retain the authority to review actions and processes after the fact. Where irregularities are identified, the judiciary is empowered to issue appropriate orders.
Agu pointed out that this was precisely the role played by the High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, which reviewed the circumstances surrounding the ongoing dispute and issued its ruling accordingly. He concluded that both political dialogue and respect for judicial oversight are essential to restoring stability and ensuring good governance in Rivers State.
0 Comments