RIVERS LEGISLATORS BLAST DICKSON OVER EMERGENCY RULE COMMENTS

The Rivers State Caucus in the National Assembly has harshly criticised Senator Henry Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa West) for describing the emergency rule in Rivers as a form of military governance. At a press briefing in Abuja, House Minority Leader and Rivers Caucus Chair, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, dismissed Dickson’s remarks as “intellectually disingenuous,” asserting that Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ibas, the state’s Sole Administrator, is a civilian under the constitution. Drawing a parallel, Chinda reminded reporters that Dickson himself is a retired police corporal, now a civilian legislator, and therefore should know better than to misconstrue the legal status of retired officers. He explained that the emergency declaration followed due process under Section 305 of the Constitution and had the endorsement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who thanked President Tinubu for averting total anarchy. Chinda warned that Dickson’s “divisive rhetoric” could incite violence and underscored that the Rivers situation was being handled within constitutional limits.