. Say emergency rule crippling economy

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Women under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to save the state, especially the women from the  burden of the ongoing emergency rule in the state.

The women made the call yesterday during their monthly prayer session held at Isaac Boro Park, in Port Harcourt.

In a statement  signed by Dr Vivian Ige-Elenwo and Chikodi Okpara, the women stated that the continuation of the state of emergency  is taking a great toll on the women, the youths and the children, stressing that the economy is sliding down and gradually becoming comatose.

Prof Roseline Konya who read the statement on behalf of the group,  urged the president to restore  the elected governor of the state and lift the emergency rule, while pledging their support for him at the federal level.  

 They said: “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.”

“We assure Mr President to 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.”

The women also called for genuine reconciliation amongst the parties in the political crisis and asked the major actors to put Rivers State first in all their dealings and put aside every grievance so as to pave the way for love and absolute peace to thrive. 

“We remain resolute in this demand for the sake of equity, justice and good conscience. 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.” 

The women, however,   sympathised with families who lost loved ones in the recent  attacks in Plateau, Benue and Gombe and 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”, they added.

Speaking with THISDAY during the prayer session, some Muslim women expressed concern over the alleged stagnation in the State economy, following the emergency rule.

The leader of the Muslim women at the prayer session, Hajia Mariam Nasir Usman, said: “No person with a conscience will say they should remove a democratically elected governor and put a military man. That is not constitutional. Presently, we don’t feel the impact of the state government, since the suspension of our God send governor.

“President Bola Tinubu should please release our Governor Siminalayi Fubara, let this Sole Administrator go back to his state,we don’t need him, we need our governor, we voted for him. Let him come back and continue the good work he is doing for the people of Rivers State, including the Muslims. He is a rare governor.”

On her part, Hajia Toiybat Abdulrahman, said the prayer session is jointly organised by both Christian and Muslim women from the 23 local government areas of the state.

She explained: “As you can see, both Christians and Muslim women in the state  come out every Thursday to pray for Governor Fubara because he is a good man. He is a man that loves everybody in the state irrespective of your religion. So, we are calling our father, the President to bring our governor back, even before now, Rivers State has been peaceful”.

“Governor Fubara brought peace in the state, unlike the immediate past governor who is the FCT governor said Rivers State is not a Muslim state and destroyed all our mosques. But our current democratic governor brought unity in the state. He never discriminate but continue to show love.”

​