By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja
Bonjour Monsieur President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT),
Pardon my french, and pidgin English, “you really fuck up oh, by this declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State ohhh”!!!
I had to say it in French because I hear that you are currently vacationing or is it a working visit in France!!!
To borrow the expression that we Nigerians learned from the popular TV show: “WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE”, “Was this State of Emergency in Rivers State your final answer ?” As in, had you explored and exhausted all other options?
To borrow another expression from the same TV show: “Could you not have phoned a family or a friend or more experienced political leader like the President of France to ask for advice before declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers”.?
Indeed, if you had asked the French President, Emmanuel Marcon for advice, he would not have advised you to declare a State of Emergency in Rivers State as a solution to a political crisis.
In June 2024, this French President was only 46 years old when he faced (and successfully handled) one of the worst political crises in France since the year 1962.
Yet, as a solution, the French President did not declare a State of Emergency upon the Parliament of France or any other territory of France!!!
Monsieur President BAT Sir, please pause and think for a minute:
“If the President of France and his counterparts in the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom are in the habit (have the penchant) of declaration of a State of Emergency, as a solution to any political crisis within their countries, would you be frequently traveling to the said countries for vacation?”
Yesterday, I was driving home after attending the memorial of the death of Jesus Christ which held at the auditorium of the National Polytechnic of the Kingdom of Lesotho, I was listening to the news on radio, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
It was announced that for the first time in so many years, the Parliament of the United Kingdom had enacted a legislation to declare a State of Emergency!!!
This State of Emergency was not declared upon any territory or region of the United Kingdom.
No, the legislation was enacted to declare a State of Emergency upon British Steel Corporation by empowering the government to take over its operations from the current owners which was a Chinese company!!!
The BBC News stated that this is the first time in a long time that the Parliament of the United Kingdom that such a “draconian” legislation was being enacted!!!
Wait till you hear this!!!
The major reason why the Parliament of the United Kingdom declared this State of Emergency was in the best interests of the citizens of the said British Steel Corporation.
Majority of the staff of the said British Steel Corporation were at risk of losing their jobs if the Chinese owners had gone ahead with the declaration of bankruptcy and winding up of the said steel company.
Also, the risk of loss of livelihood of many citizens of the United Kingdom who provide ancillary services within the vicinity wherein the said steel company was located!!!
It was based upon these cogent, verifiable and over-riding public interests that the Parliament of the United Kingdom declared a State of Emergency on the British Steel Corporation!!!
Monsieur President BAT and members of the National Assembly of Nigeria, was there any one page document that contained a verifiable, empirical evidence of destruction of oil pipelines in Rivers State before you both enacted legislation to declare a State of Emergency in Rivers State?
Was the said report authored by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, which has the responsibility for protection and prevention of vandalism Oil pipelines in Nigeria according to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Act, 2007?
I look forward to your anticipated prompt and positive response.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja.
13th April 2025.
