Daud Olatunji
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, has revealed that the federal government may approve the release of Rivers State’s seized funds following the appointment of a sole administrator.
Speaking on the ongoing political crisis in the state, Fagbemi explained that the emergency rule had disrupted the normal governance structure, making it necessary to reconsider the state’s access to its withheld funds.
“When the administrator comes, he may request these funds, and to me, it will be in order to release them, because the extraordinary situation has brought the state out of the normal order of things,” he stated.
The minister further defended the federal government’s decision to impose emergency rule in Rivers State, dismissing criticisms from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which argued that the crisis did not justify such an action.
He maintained that the intervention was necessary to restore stability and prevent a complete breakdown of governance.
“The Constitution under Section 305 allows for the suspension of normal governance in extraordinary situations.
“You cannot spare those responsible for the breakdown of order. There must be consequences for actions that disrupt governance,” Fagbemi stated.
Fagbemi also revealed that the declaration of emergency rule may have been a strategic compromise to prevent the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy.
According to him, the Rivers State House of Assembly had already initiated impeachment proceedings against the governor before the federal government intervened.
“If that impeachment had been allowed to take its full course, the governor would have lost wholly and entirely.
“ So, in a way, instead of allowing the process to continue and see both the governor and deputy out of office, the state of emergency could be seen as a compromise,” he said.
His comments have added a new dimension to the controversy surrounding the federal government’s decision, with critics questioning whether the move was intended to protect the governor or consolidate power at the center.
Addressing speculations that President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in Rivers State was influenced by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, Fagbemi dismissed such claims as baseless.
“Was he the one who ordered the demolition of the House of Assembly? Was he the one who stopped the governor from presenting his budget? If you examine the facts, you will see that Wike did not feature in this matter,” he argued.
Fagbemi urged critics of the President’s decision to direct their concerns to the National Assembly, which has the constitutional authority to either approve or reject the emergency declaration.
“If the National Assembly feels the President has not done well, they have the power to reject his decision. But until then, we must put patriotism above personal sentiments,” he added.
The Rivers crisis has sparked widespread debate across the country, with legal experts and political analysts weighing in on the implications of the emergency rule.
While some argue that the intervention sets a dangerous precedent, others believe it was a necessary step to prevent political instability in the state.
The Nigerian Bar Association had earlier faulted the federal government’s move, stating that the situation in Rivers did not warrant such an extreme measure.
However, Fagbemi insisted that the emergency rule was justified under Section 305 of the Constitution.
“A state of emergency is an extraordinary situation that suspends normal governance.
“ The President acted under the provisions of Section 305, which clearly states the conditions under which the government can step in to restore order,” he explained.
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