Rivers Assembly Fracas: Soyinka, Falana Slam Jonathan – PM News



Femi Falana (l) and Prof. Wole Soyinka at the conference

As the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly degenerated with the removal of soldiers guarding Governor Rotimi Amaechi, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and Femi Falana this morning criticised President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of the matter.
Addressing a press conference this morning, both of them agreed that the country had passed this road before and is not what the country should be doing now.
Soyinka said: “I’m insulted by what is going on in Rivers State. We have been through this before. Why is the Presidency boring us. There are serious issues confronting us.

“This is the time the president should be mobilizing the entire country for positive things. This is the time the President should worry about how to protect our little children being murdered in their schools.
“Instead, he’s busy reducing the authority of an elected governor in Rivers State.”

He asked rhetorically: “will no one rid me of this pestilence?”
He also condemned Jonathan, saying his silence and indifference have created an enabling environment for his followers who are acting in Rivers State with impunity.

In his own comment, Lagos lawyer, Femi Falana cited various sections of the constitution which condemn what is going on in Rivers State.
He said an elected Speaker of the House of Assembly can only be removed by 2/3 majority of members of the House.
Falana explained that the Supreme court made it clear that any business conducted outside of the legislature can’t stand. He cited the cases of Plateau and Oyo states to buttress his point.

He said what is going on in Rivers State is absurd and odious. According to him, the silence of the President wherever he may be is a confirmation of what is going in Rivers State.
He then called on the Inspector General of Police to remove the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, Mr. Joseph Mbu, who has violated the code of conduct of the police.
He insisted the officers should be removed, not transferred

Clerverly: Jonathan is an evil man who is ready to trade Nigeria for his inordinate ambition. The ealier we stop him by any means the better for Nigeria and its furture generations. I wonder where he would run to after his tenure.

They did 'petition' the Presidency and nothing happened !!! I think , for some of us , it is still not clear that Jonathan is a Wolf in Sheep clothing happy to act as bad and as callously as OBJ did if that will get Mr.President what he wants. OGD is now an "untouchable" because he has pledged to work for Jonathan. Is this not how OBJ announced , circa 2006/7 , something to the effect that "Daniel may be a rogue/devil but he is our (PDP) rogue/devil" after Daniel had pledged to work to secure the victory of Yardy?

When we chastise Jonathan for his failure to show leadership , with how he is totally distracted with trying to buy a win in 2011, his fans come here making rabid noise. This impeachment is a blatant attempt of the OGD-led Government to gain a 100 billion naira 'retirement' fund. The lawmakers are firmly against this shameless and non-too-subtle attempt at daylight robbery . Naturally, OGD and his acolytes know that the speaker must go to pave the way for a 'friendly' Speaker that will 'move things along' . OGD is encouraged to act like this because he knows that the President will turn a blind eye to his lawlessness.

Jonathan will not see the need to urgently get involved , since Daniel has sworn allegiance, to prevent blatant and desperate looting of Ogun State coffers but he is happy to deploy every EFCC operative against those who are against his 2011 ambitions. Ogun State may go broke but that is no concern to GEJ since Daniel is now an "untouchable" .

Is this the type of President we want to give a 4 year term to? A President who will hound his enemies yet ignore those who are getting away with murder because they are his pals ? Have we not been down this road many times before ? Jonathan's kinsmen may support him blindly but that is because they are failing to take off their ethnic goggles to note the putrefication going on under their kinsman. If any State Government deserves the immediate attention of the EFCC it is Ogun State under the ruinous leadership of OGD. Our compromised President will not act since Daniel has promised to deliver Ogun State.

Gbawe:

If you don't have anything to say in relation to what Soyinka and Falana have said, apart from mentioning your fellow forumers, then get lost. You immature, personality-centred brats are ruining this forum. You are all like a bunch of groupies, running around obsessing over other forumers, instead of dealing with the topic. I don't even know who you are and, frankly, don't care to know. Yet you are shouting "Gbawe". Pathetic.

Gbawe: @Cleverly and others.

Check it out below. All the way back to 2010. History repeating itself and the reason GEJ's clannish and frustrated 'tool's follow me around. I have always been very accurate reading their messiah and speaking against his opportunism and callous behaviour that is a threat to everything good and desirable for Nigeria.

https://www.nairaland.com/509920/ogun-speaker-impeached-bond-approved

Gbawe wrote:


https://www.nairaland.com/509677/ogun-state-speaker-impeached

Gbawe wrote:

Ogun Speaker impeached, bond approved
By Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji


The political crisis in Ogun State c,imaxed yesterday, as nine of the 26-member House of Assembly said it has removed the Speaker, Tunji Egbetokun. He was immediately replaced with Soyemi Coker.

We reliably gathered that the nine lawmakers, who are said to be loyalists of the governor, Gbenga Daniel, slept within the Assembly complex on Sunday night, to enable them carry out the impeachment, which they did as early as 7am.

They were alleged to have made use of the mace belonging to the Abeokuta South Local Government legislative arm, to carry out the operation, having burgled the Assembly’s chambers.

It can’t be

But Mr Egbetokun, in a swift response, described the purported impeachment as illegal and part of a plot to scuttle the proposed debate of the N100 billion controversial bond slated for Wednesday. He reaffirmed his leadership in the House of Assembly.

However, Mr Coker later told journalists that the reign of his predecessor was over and that the House under his leadership has approved the bond requested by the governor.

“After due consultation with our various constituents, traditional rulers and chiefs, labour unions, clubs and associations, prominent Ogun stakeholders, we hereby, approve the House resolution that the state government should proceed to the bond market immediately to source for N100 billion in tranches of N26 billion, N34 billion and N40 billion for various outstanding and developmental projects evenly spread across the three senatorial districts of the state,” he said.

To create a conducive atmosphere for the lawmakers to carry out their plot, a private security official attached to the complex, identified as Nureni, was said to have been held hostage and his mobile phone seized by the lawmakers while the operations lasted.

At 8.30am when we visited the Assembly complex, the lawmakers who claimed to have impeached Mr Egbetokun, were sighted. Also on the premises were Titi Oseni (former Speaker) and Omosanya Solaja who are known supporters of the governor and who had been suspended by the House. Staff of the Assembly were not allowed in by policemen guarding the premises.

The commissioner of police in the state was said not to be aware of the deployment of a new set of police officers to complement efforts of those already assigned to the Assembly before yesterday’s incident.

A Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was sighted at the Assembly questioning the presence of a large number of police officers there. In response, one of them told him that they were deployed there on alert, that there was a plot by some people to bomb the Assembly.

Lingering crisis

The nine lawmakers, in a statement, said their action was necessitated “by the cry of our various constituents to bail out Ogun State from the lingering crisis that has beset us for the past two to three years.”

He equally read out a riot act that all the other factions of the Assembly, known as G-15, have been suspended “for gross misconduct against the institution of the Ogun State Legislature, the government and people of Ogun State”. Mr Soyemi, in addition, said he had reviewed the suspension of Titi Oseni and Omosanya Solaja and found it wholly unnecessary, unjust and overdue, and lifted the suspension with all legislative privileges restored and all losses to be paid in full.

Other resolutions reached by them ,according to him, include: approval of the 2010 supplementary budget of N26 billion, appointment of Yemi Akinwonmi as the new Commissioner of Education, confirmed the nominee of the governor into Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission and dissolution of all existing committees.

He said the principal officers for the House include: Ayo-Odugbesan (Deputy Speaker), Bankole Durotolu Oyebode (majority leader), Musa Maruf (Chief Whip), Abiodun Oluseyi Moses (Deputy Majority Leader) and Adeleke Salmon (Deputy Chief Whip).

Mr Egebtokun, in his reaction said, “They know the debate will open everything. The governor did not know we will go for the debate. Four days ago, he called the clerk of the House to know whether we are serious about the debate, and when the clerk told him that we are going ahead and even armed with documents, he became more apprehensive.”

“The commissioner of finance is on the run, the accountant-general is nowhere to be found. They cannot impeach me. They are just nine and two of them are still under suspension. They are wasting their time. I don’t want to join issues with them. They are acting under some spell. We are on top of the situation.” Meanwhile, there were reports last night that Mr Egbetokun’s house in Akute, Ogun State, was invaded by armed bandits yesterday. He was not at home when they came. The former Speaker said his landlord called him to confirm the incident.

Gbawe: Wole Soyinka stated "We have been through this before". I.e 'gangster' impeachment such as that seen in Ogun in 2010 while GEJ looked away, abandoned his obligation and even rewarded Gbenga Daniel's thuggery and attempt at daylight robbery with making him Team GEJ election campaign coordinator for SW.


https://www.nairaland.com/509677/ogun-state-speaker-impeached

Clerverly:

Gbawe, leave all these jonathan's blind followers, they are just irredeemable!

PointB: Let us clap for Soyinka and Femi Falana. They have spoken plenty grammar, albeit full of contradiction.


In one breath they asked the President to get involved in the situation in Rivers State, in another they asked the President to pay more attention to those murdering our children (in the North.)

Perhaps these men should be clearer - what is more deserving of attention? Boko Haram killing our children (in the North) or River State big men playing hide and seek with a Mace?

Geomac:

You are more intelligent that this PointB.
Are you saying it is a big task for GEJ to attend to the two points you raised above?

Home » Featured » Rivers PDP crises regrettable- Jonathan



President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday expressed worries about the recent political developments in Rivers State as he called on all those involved in regrettable acts of political violence to show greater respect for the constitution and the rule of law.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President urged members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and all other political gladiators in the state to put the interests of the state and the nation above their personal egos and ambitions that “seem to have gotten in the way of their expected commitment to uphold the principles of democracy and good governance.”

He called on all those who were remotely or directly involved in heightening political tension in Rivers State to put an immediate end to their actions, which he said, are capable of plunging the state into public disorder.

To this end, he urged them to strive to settle their political differences without further recourse to barbaric acts of violence.

The statement reads: “President Jonathan expects all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, irrespective of their current affiliations or loyalties, to comport themselves with greater restraint while efforts continue to resolve existing differences and restore internal harmony to the state branch of the party.

“The Presidency has also noted with regret the continuing attempts by some individuals and groups to place responsibility for the unpleasant developments in Rivers State on President Jonathan.

“We are constrained to state once again that there is absolutely no factual basis for suggestions that some of the politicians involved in the current dispute are acting at the behest of the President.”

“President Jonathan certainly did not instigate the crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly and as President of the nation, he will never support any actions that negate his avowed commitment to the rule of law. The President will also never violate his oath of office to always defend the Nigerian Constitution.”

PointB:

How would I blame you? You get easily carried away by the propaganda machine of the collective children of anger.

Here is the President response to the crisis:




http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news-update/rivers-pdp-crises-regrettable-jonathan/


But of course, you can never satisfy the world. I bet you know that already!

Geomac:

You are more intelligent that this PointB.
Are you saying it is a big task for GEJ to attend to the two points you raised above?

mgbeketoto: Gooooooooooooooooooo NORTHERNERS!

Sit in one corner and have a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD, LAST LAUGH as the SOUTHERN IJJJIOTS tear themselves apart. . . !
ONE NIGERIA. . .ONE SOUTH-SOUTH!

Mu che che che che che che

Forget BOKO HARAM. . .those 'things' ain't NORTHERNERS OR NIGERIANS. . . but terrorists sponsored by GEJ FROM CHAD AND NIGER REPUBLIC!

ShyM-X:


Calling "PointB" intelligent is an insult to billions of intelligent people on this planet. Can't you see the guy labelled himself, Point-B, for a reason? Point-B is where re.tards go - Point-A is for the discerning minds.

When the same Wole Soyinka tore the Buhari man to shreds a few weeks ago, the same airheaded pointB was full of praises for him. However, now that the man is speaking the truth about the fedora hat wearing one, who feeds PointlessB with crumbs, he's back to what he knows how to do best. The guy is a clown!

ckkris: Prof did not even criticize President Jonathan, because the bard has unlimited access to him at the Villa. Shame on Gbawe, Ilugunole, ati gbo gbo won.