In their determination to ensure that the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, was restored to office, women under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, has sent a ‘save our soul’ message to the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The women are begging the president to end the economic hardship in the state by lifting the emergency rule and reinstating the suspended governor.
They lamented that the state of emergency declared by Tinubu had taken a toll on women, youths and children in the state, adding that the economy was gradually sliding into a state of comatose.
Prof. Roseline Konya stated this on Thursday, onbehalf of the women group, at the Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt, during their prayers.
Speaking onbehalf of the leaders, Dr. Vivian Ige-Elenwo and Chikodi Okpara, Konya said, “as part of efforts for peace, reconciliation and restoration, we, the Women of Rivers State, under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group are still appealing to you to save Rivers people from the burden of the emergency rule in the State.
“The continuation of the state of emergency in Rivers State is taking a great toll on the women, the youths and the children as the economy is sliding down and gradually becoming comatose.
“We are therefore looking up to the President, who we are solidly behind, to rescue Rivers Women by lifting this burden of state of emergency from our dear State and to restore our democratic institutions.”
The women assured Tinubu that they would “continue standing by him, as part of our appreciation to his acceding to our fervent cry for the lifting of the emergency rule and the restoring of our duly elected governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“We remain resolute in this demand for the sake of equity, justice and good conscience.
We, as Rivers Women, are also calling for genuine reconciliation amongst the parties and ask the major actors to put Rivers State first in all their dealings and to put aside every grievance so as to pave the way for love and absolute peace to thrive.
“It is obvious that our State is the major loser of the emergency rule as many development actions are on suspension and our people are languishing in anxiety as an aftermath.
Let us all rise above self and be patriotic to salvage our State from this abyss.
That is why we are appealing to Mr. President to save the economy of our dear State and urgently lift this emergency rule to provide for a seamless return of progressive development.”
In same vein, Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group expressed sympathy with families of those who lost their lives in the recent killings, attacks in Plateau, Benue and even Gombe.
They called for “more security measures to confront the dire situation and restore normalcy in those troubled areas of our dear nation. Our earnest call is based on the fact that what affects the eyes, also affects the nose. “We need sustainable peace and development in our country and pray for a better Nigeria.”
