Former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, Ibim Semetinari, has welcomed the lifting of emergency rule in the oil-rich state.
Six months after suspending democratic governance in Rivers, President Bola Tinubu paved the way for the return of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odi as well as members of the State House of Assembly.
Weighing in on the President’s directive on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Semetinari, also a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, described Tinubu’s action as a breath of fresh air.
“It is a breath of fresh air,” she said in response to the suspension of emergency rule on Wednesday.
“As a Rivers daughter, it feels good to have my state back. I guess midnight tonight, I will feel like a Rivers woman again.
“I jokingly say before now that I was a member of the state of emergency but now I am from Rivers State.
“It is gratifying, I think there is relief. All over Rivers State, you can feel it. The people are happy, they are excited. The people are glad that things are hopefully getting back to normal.
“It didn’t feel good being the only state in the entire federation that didn’t have its democratically elected governor. And I am sure that most Rivers people feel the same way.”
READ ALSO: Politicians Have Not Learnt Lesson From Rivers Emergency Rule, Says Lawyer
‘Lessons Learnt’
On March 18, President Tinubu suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, as well as the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Tinubu appointed retired Naval Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas to administer the state for six months, amid political infighting since 2023 that had crippled the legislature.
Tinubu invoked Section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution (as Amended), citing the prevailing crisis that had rocked the oil-rich state at the time.
The emergency declaration was condemned by many political observers who argued the move was unconstitutional. It also sparked accusations of a power grab.
To Semetinari, lessons have been learnt across board.
“I think that the people have been treated with a short shred. It might be unfair to the people.
“I guess that lessons probably have been learnt across board,” she stated.
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