President Bola Tinubu accused Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the political unrest in the state.
In a broadcast to the nation on Tuesday, he regretted that political actors in Rivers State had failed to achieve an understanding and maintain their peace.
President Tinubu accused the governor of burning down the State Assembly complex and failing to repair it within the past 15 months.
He stated that despite the efforts made by himself and other stakeholders, the affected parties have been unable to reach an agreement.
Tinubu also claimed that the governor sabotaged the legislative arm of government.
The President also referenced what he called “the latest security reports from the state,” particularly incidents of pipeline vandalism, stating that the governor had failed to address the issue.
The President said, “The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today, there have been disturbing incidents of pipeline vandalism by some militants, without the governor taking any action to curtail them.
“I have, of course, given a stern order to the security agencies to ensure the safety of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
“With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will stand by and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order, and security.”
On Tuesday, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the non-functionality of the legislative arm of government as the reason for his decision.
He appointed Retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to take over the administrative functions of the state.
