The Rivers Youth Political Forum is a socio-political organization in Rivers State with a membership of over 700 Rivers youths spread across the 23 LGAs.
The Forum has been organizing interactive sessions with the youths geared towards shunning electoral vices and violent political participation in the state.
Its National President, Comrade Destiny Natha Amadi says the Forum believes in peace and articulate policy and political analysis.
Our Correspondent met the amiable and vibrant political commentator recently at the Omagwa International Airport and engaged him on a number of recent political developments in the state.
Here are some of his responses :
A couple of weeks ago, the Rivers State PDP executives and other political elite paid President Jonathan a visit. How would you explain this, considering the problem in the state?
My dear, there is nothing wrong with their visit to President Jonathan. You see, no matter what people think or say about it, the fact remains that their visit to Abuja is strictly on political party issues. We all know that President Jonathan is the PDP National leader so if his subordinates or party members from Rivers State pay him a visit to address matters relating to the party, it is a welcome development.
There was a speculation that their purpose of visit was against Governor Amaechi. What is your take on that?
Well, PDP as a political party has its own ideology, manifesto and objectives. And for the party to achieve its goal there are rules, regulations and procedures that must be followed by its members. It follows therefore that any act of indiscipline by any of its members can open a window for failure to hop in … If Governor Amaechi is truly a member of PDP and wears the identity of PDP then the success or failure of the party will also reflect on his own identity. So I don’t think that the meeting was to undo him. I believe that nobody forced him to join the party. If he voluntarily secured PDP membership, then he should also abide by the rules willingly. From what I read in the newspapers, President Jonathan only made a statement of principle when he said that the party will not tolerate any act of indiscipline and rascality from any of its members. That statement I believe is applicable to all PDP members including the president, governors, ministers and my humble self before you here .
But the Governor has always complained of being treated unjustly by PDP and the Presidency. How do you react to it?
To me, the issue of unjust treatment should not arise here, because injustice arises mainly from treating unequal people equally and from treating equal people unequally. That is just a fact. You see His Excellency Gov Amaechi, Hon Felix Obuah, Hon Timothy Nsirim, his vice and 17 councilors are unequal personalities. So based on a descriptive comparative sense, we can understand that, they are all physically, intellectually and morally, different and unequal. But before the law, they are all equal. So, if law offers them equal treatment, then that is justice. Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi became a Governor through the court and Hon Felix Obuah became the Rivers State PDP Chairman through the court. That is justice, not injustice, because the law looked at them equally and also gave them equal treatment. On the other hand, Hon Timothy Nsirim was suspended by Gov Amaechi and 17 councilors without fair hearing, whereas, PDP National Exco gave Gov Amaechi the chance to correct his mistakes by recalling Prince Timothy Nsirim and the others. But he refused before he was now suspended.
In this context, Hon Timothy Nsirim and the 17 Councilors were denied fair hearing, but Gov Amaechi was given an opportunity to make explanations and correction. We can now see inequality and injustice. In this case, it is Hon Timothy Nsirim, the Vice Chairman and the 17 Councilors who were treated unjustly, not the Governor.
Hon Evans Bipi in a recent newspaper publication claims to be the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Do you think it is possible for five members only to form a quorum for such impeachment?
You see, Rt. Hon Evans Bipi in a telephone interview with 92:3 FM that very morning said 16 members voted him and that he is now the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The issue now is that there are some factors or conditions that can form premises for a logical conclusion. Remember we are analyzing politics now. From my own sense of reasoning I believe an impeachment actually took place and that Rt. Hon Evans Bipi is now the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Do you know why I said so? Before this very date of impeachment, The Governor, Rt. Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi has sued the entire members of the Assembly to court praying the court to stop the Assembly from impeaching him. And as at the time of this suit, the Governor also told us that 27 out of the 32 Lawmakers are strongly behind him. And we are all aware that the Governor never complained of any attempt or motion by any House member to impeach him, neither did the Governor tell us that he has committed any offence that can warrant his impeachment. Even presently, the Governor still maintains that the 27 members of the Assembly are for him, while a mere 5 are against him. My dear, the geometric value of 27 and 5 is not the same because 27 is greater than 5. But my simplest understanding about why the Governor went to court is that my well respected Governor has misplaced and misunderstood the geometric value of 27. Perhaps, to him, 27 is less than 5.
Secondly, he must have equally gone to court because he wants to be unkind to the 27 whom he claims to be kindly supporting him.
Thirdly, may be our dear Governor must have also gone to court because he has perceived that the House may investigate him for an offence which may still be unknown to Rivers people. Fourthly, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi must have gone to court because a reasonable percentage of the 27 members he claims to be for him must have left him long before he went to court.
Those are possible factors that can warrant him to go to court to stop his possible impeachment before the time.
These are reasons why I believed Rt. Hon Evans Bipi when he declared that he is the new Speaker of the House of Assembly. And he still maintains that some of those who voted him are still in their window period because of their fear of being attacked by Hon Chidi Lloyd.
As a political commentator what is your reaction to the recent fight in the Assembly?
Our Lawmakers actually embarrassed the entire people of Rivers State. My blame goes to all those who participated in the fight because fighting does not solve any problem. But the most painful aspect of what happened there was the outright abuse of Rivers State symbol of authority by Hon Chidi Lloyd. For Hon Chidi Lloyd to be caught on camera consistently striking the Mace on Hon Michael Okechukwu Chinda to a point of bleeding and injury is a call for serious attention. Rivers symbol of authority is not a weapon and Rivers people do not represent dangerous weapon but Hon Chidi Lloyd has suddenly by implication turned the Rivers people to look like that before the world.
Hon Chidi Lloyd represents a constituency in Rivers State and I do not believe that his constituency sent him to the Rivers State House of Assembly to inflict injury on another member to a point where the member is now flown abroad for further medical treatment. His action reminded me of the Aluu Four. It is totally unacceptable and barbaric of a law maker.
Many stakeholders have argued that the Governor is not supposed to be in the Hallowed Chambers except on invitation. What is your opinion?
Listen, there is a gap between when you politic and when you administer polices for the people of the state. It is unfortunate that the Governor is mixing up the two. As the chief executive of the state the output of the House of Assembly should be and always remain his own input. That is why policies made by the legislators are implemented by the executive. This is separation of powers. From what we gathered, the Governor delegated Hon Tele Ikuru to represent him in the presentation of 2013 Appropriation Amendment Bill. For a superior to delegate a very vital responsibility to his subordinate, means that the superior was engaged somewhere, or may be sick or may be outside the country or state for other vital assignment, and so on. It also follows that the subordinate as far as that assignment is concerned functions as the superior, in this case as Governor. Remember, as at the time Eng. Tele Ikuru went to the Hallowed Chamber, he was not there as the Deputy Governor rather he went as the Governor. While the crisis was on, we saw Hon. Tele Ikuru on the video clip calming down Hon Evans Bipi which means that Eng. Tele Ikuru was playing the role the Governor was supposed to play but this consideration was put out of account when we understood that the same Governor who had assigned responsibility to Hon Tele Ikuru left wherever he went and came to the same Hallowed Chambers to partake in a circumstance that would have been a situation report to him from his subordinate. This is where Governor Amaechi deeply indicted himself because Governor Amaechi owes the people of Rivers State an explanation as to who actually functioned as Governor as at the time of the crisis on that very day in the Hallowed Chambers. In this case, because of the fact that Tele Ikuru actually represented Governor Amaechi, the physical presence of the Governor became highly questionable and objectionable.
The Governor cannot just function through Hon Tele Ikuru and at the same time be playing the same role for himself on a particular subject matter. That means he was playing a double role. While one was there to present Bill, the other identity was there to fuel crisis.
Rivers state seems to have found itself inside a quagmire. How can they retrieve themselves from this quagmire?
I have the confidence that now that the Senate has stepped into the matter and with the support of the Presidency, everything will return to normalcy.
I also pray that GOD grants the injured member of the House, Hon M.O. Chinda a quick recovery.
