Hundreds of Rivers State women who came under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite for Sim (RWUS) have urged President Bola Tinubu to cancel the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officers of the state.
The women spoke as Rivers sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) cancelled all pending procurement and tender processes by the state government.
The women, who came under the group from across the 23 local government areas of the state and convened by Sotonye Toby Fulton, made the call on Thursday – yesterday, April 3 – during their weekly prayer for peace and progress in the state, held in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
A participant at the prayer session said there was no war in the state that required the declaration of a state of emergency, insisting that the state needs the suspended Governor Fubara to continue with his official work for which he was elected.
Gloria Akor-Okocha, an administrative manager with Port Harcourt Water Cooperation, said: “We are praying for restoration, we are praying that Nigeria will come to truth, we are praying that God will install truth in the country and restore our Governor back.
“What they have done is mere intimidation. The Governor was voted for and he was elected as the executive Governor of Rivers State. There is nowhere in the constitution that an elected Governor can be removed by one man under the disguise of state of emergency. There was no bombing anywhere in the state, there was no fighting, people were and are moving about their peaceful business. Then what is the reason for the emergency rule?
“It is high time people began to know the truth. We cannot be intimidated; our voices will not be shut down. It is when women will rise up and speak, Siminalayi Fubara is the governor of Rivers State and so shall it be. We are praying not to fight anybody, but we have a power who is above and we call on God to fight the battle.”
On her part, Dr Vivian Elenwo, President of Ijaw Women Connect, said: “Rivers State with Governor Siminalayi Fubara is peaceful. Our youths are not on the streets, they are peaceful, you can see the women are praying. God is the highest court, and is above the Supreme Court, so, we have brought our complaint to God today.”
“The state of emergency has limited our freedom; mothers are afraid, children are afraid, fathers are hiding because we don’t know the next step they are going to take. What we are suing for is that they should give this Rivers State the peace that we have always lived for. They should lift this emergency rule and recall our governor back to the government house,” Dr Elenwo stressed.
Meanwhile, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Ibibia Worika, Vice Admiral Ibas has announced the cancellation of all pending procurement and tender processes by the state government.
“In adherence to the Supreme Court judgement upholding the Appeal Court ruling in Suit No. CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024 and in the absence of an Appropriation Law, the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (RTD.) Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, CFR, wishes to notify the general public that all procurement and tender processes that were carried out by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) during the period are hereby cancelled,” Ibas said in the statement by Worika.
“Accordingly, all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that carried out such tender processes for projects in their respective offices are, by this special announcement, mandated to refund such tender fees to the respective contractors immediately, pending the approval of a spending plan by the State, which shall be notified in due course.”
