The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, has expressed concerns that President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast, announcing a state of emergency in Rivers State due to the ongoing political crisis, appeared to hold only one side accountable.
During an interview with Arise TV from 11:56, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, Abaribe noted that while there were two sides to the story, it appeared that only one side had been found guilty.
President Tinubu cited recent security reports in his broadcast, indicating that between Monday and Tuesday, there had been incidents of pipeline vandalism by militants, with no action taken by governor Siminalayi Fubara to address the situation.
Abaribe further countered this claim, stating that no governor has the authority to direct security agencies such as the police and the army. He emphasized that while both the president and state governors share responsibility for maintaining law and order, it was unfair to blame the governor for inaction when he lacks direct control over security forces.
He said, “The broadcast is there, and we saw the broadcast, and there are two sides to this story; it just seems like only one side was found guilty. Every president has a responsibility for law and order, same thing as a state governor and so on. Of course, there are some aspects of that broadcast that I didn’t agree with. No governor has the responsibility for directing the police, the army, and all that, and then you turn around and say the governor didn’t do anything. How? Who do you blame, really?”