President Bola Tinubu had declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State following a lingering political crisis.
Mr Tinubu decided on Tuesday after a closed-door meeting with security and service chiefs and leadership of the National Assembly at the presidential villa.
The presidential declaration is coming when Ijaw Youths under the umbrella of the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, blocked the Mbiama Axis of the East-West road on Tuesday to protest over the statements by the Minster of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Recall that Mr Wike allegedly described the Ijaws as a minority in the Niger Delta region.
The peaceful protest by hundreds of youths is to express their dissatisfaction over recent political developments in Rivers.
The protest which paralyzed commercial activities and vehicular movement on the ever busy road, they said was a demonstration in response to comments made by the FCT Minister, which the protesters described as insulting to the Ijaw nation.
The peaceful demonstration saw leaders from various IYC zones and national officers demanding President Tinubu to caution the minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike over the recent political developments in Rivers.
The protesters berated the Minister in what they described as unhealthy distraction to good Governance in the state.
Additionally, the protesters voiced their concerns over what they perceived as President Bola Tinubu’s support for the FCT Minister in the ongoing political crisis in the State.
Especially with the move by the State House of Assembly to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Ijaw youths vowed not to leave the East-west road until President Tinubu genuinely decides to settle the political crisis in Rivers.
The protest which had all the structures of the IYC demand an end to the continued oppression of the Rivers governor and its people, describing it as a looming outbreak of violence.
One of the youth, Tonye Ebi, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria Correspondent, appealed to President Tinubu to genuinely intervene to settle the political crisis in Rivers in the interest of the people.
According to him: “The umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, the IYC had earlier reiterated through earlier warning that governor Fubara’s tenure must not be truncated, as the Ijaw people will not sit and watch such happen.”
NAN
