Again! Rivers women protest against emergency rule, suspension of fubara, as Reps panel invites Ibas for questioning

Women under the aegis of the Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group took to the streets to relate their disapproval over declaration of emergency rule on the state, by President Bola Tinubu.

They also frowned at the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and demanded that he be brought back, and the emergency rule reversed.

The women who we learnt came from the 23 local government areas of the state, also called for the removal of the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, over alleged harassment of demonstrators by his men.

The women carried placards with inscriptions such as “Ibas, your policies are one-sided,” “We are gagged in our LGAs,” and “Rivers CP must go.”

This took place on Wednesday, at Port Harcourt, the state capital, as the woman declared both the emergency rule and the appointment of a Sole Administrator as illegal actions.

National Beam gathered that on Monday, a similar demonstration occured in the area.

In another development, the House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Rivers State Oversight, on that same day, invited the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd), to appear before the House in Abuja on Thursday, April 17 by 4:00 PM.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, on Wednesday.

As a formal letter was sent to this effect, reacting to the invitation, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Sole Administrator, Hector Igbikiowubo, assured that his principal would honour the invitation.

It would be recalled that Following the declaration of emergency rule in Rivers State by President Tinubu and the subsequent appointment of Admiral Ibas to oversee the running of the state for an initial period of six months, the National Assembly, citing Section 11 of the Constitution, resolved to take over the legislative functions of the suspended State Assembly.

So, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, inaugurated a 21-member committee chaired by the House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, charged to carry out their duties without bias or partisanship.