A respected monarch in Rivers State, HRH, Eze Christopher Wonodi, (JP) of Port Harcourt City Local Govt Area has cautioned Nigerian youths planning to protest the economic hardship in the country to avoid violence or allow it to be hijacked by hoodlums in as much as it is their constitutional right to express themselves.
He gave the advice in his palace during a chat with newsmen over the weekend.
According to him, “if the people feel that they have endured the suffering enough and decide to let off the steam, there is nothing wrong with it as long as it remains peaceful in order to drive home their demands. But it is left for the political leaders to listen and respond to the people’s demand.’
On the political crisis in Rivers state, Eze Wonodi described it as precarious. He cautioned the political bigwigs in the state to consider development of the state and well-being of the people as they take their action.
The monarch advised that Gov Fubara should be allowed to exercise his God given mandate to rule the people of Rivers state, adding that Rivers people are happy with his leadership.
He maintained that Sir Siminalayi Fubara as governor of the state has the right to set up Caretaker Committees to manage the affairs of the local governments pending the conduct of the LG election, noting that nature abhors vacuum.
On the activities of the Nigeria Police, he advised the security agents not to play into the hands of politicians. He said it was important the police maintain their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and properties of the citizens.
He made it clear that it’s important the police remains impartial and professional in course of their duties and avoid being used as tools in the hands of politicians.
He equally condemned the continuous barricade of the 23 LG Councils.
He maintained that this is not good since the day-to-day activities of the local govt councils are grounded and the properties decaying gradually due to inactivity. He pointed out that if that is a plot against the governor, it is not proper.
Eze Wonodi cautioned politicians against anything that will plung the state into anarchy which he noted, will not be in the interest of anybody.
He lamented that governance is not a do-or-die affair. “Soldier go, soldier come, barracks remains. Every governor comes into the arena, makes his marks and quietly go”, he declared. The monarch said he expects that every key player considers the interventions of the stakeholders including that of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the political crisis.
He lamented further that in the past, power resided with the people unlike nowadays.
On the judiciary and her activities, the monarch said the political litigants should be reminded that they are wasting Rivers state resources in the courts unnecessarily.
He used the opportunity to caution the judges and reminded them that they have a sacred duty to defend and protect the nascent democracy through their unbiased pronouncement in the interest of the nation and posterity.
The monarch equally used the chance to appeal to President Tinubu to call the political gladiators to order and urge them to concentrate on their specific areas of assignments and allow the delivery of democratic dividends in the state to be paramount as any plot against the governor could boomerang.
