A retired President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mustapha Akanbi, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan and other political actors involved in the crisis rocking Rivers State to ensure that peace and stability are restored in the state.
Akanbi, in an interview in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on Wednesday, said the crisis in the state calls for concern and warned that if not addressed, it could affect the Nigerian polity.
The respected jurist also enjoined President Jonathan and the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, to sheathe their swords and work for the progress, peace and development of the state and the country at large.
He stated that Jonathan being the President of the country had the powers to resolve the matter.
“I plead with all of them in the interest of Nigerians and in the interest of the younger generation, to close ranks and restore peace and stability in that part of the country.
“If there is a problem in one section of the country, it affects all of us. The painful thing is this; we all know that the president of the country and the governor of Rivers State are not chummy. They have problems but they should put Nigerian nation first. If you kill one life there, you have killed a Nigerian.
“I am not looking at it from their narrow perspectives of the problem in Rivers State. Can’t they bury the hatchet and make sure that they do what is right? What is it that is causing the problem? If there are differences of opinion, they should be able to resolve it.
“Initially, they started from being in the same party until Amaechi now went his way. Even at that, Jonathan is still the President of this country. I do not think it is beyond the power of the President to resolve the problem in Rivers State”.
Akanbi, who is the pioneer Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, stated that the court was competent to adjudicate on any perceived wrong, warning that unorthodox methods should not be employed to worsen the already heated up Rivers State polity.
“I want to believe that both of them will want to leave a peaceful environment behind long after they have left this world.
“The courts are there. If the courts make orders, and they do not obey court orders, it is unfortunate”, Akanbi said.
