The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has launched a decisive move to halt the protracted political crisis in Rivers State, inaugurating a seven-member peace and reconciliation committee with a clear two-week mandate to broker peace between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly.
The high-powered committee, inaugurated in Abuja on Tuesday, is chaired by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN.
It is tasked with de-escalating tensions arising from the standoff between the executive and legislature, a crisis that has continued to threaten governance, stability and democratic order in the oil-rich state.
Speaking at the inauguration, PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, said the organisation was determined to nip the crisis in the bud, stressing that Rivers State, given its strategic political and economic importance to Nigeria, cannot afford prolonged instability.
Igali disclosed that the committee has been given 14 days to consult widely, facilitate dialogue and submit a comprehensive report with recommendations to the President and PANDEF’s Board of Trustees.
He said the terms of reference include identifying the principal actors in the dispute, engaging critical stakeholders such as former governors, traditional rulers and political leaders, and restoring stability, law and order in line with constitutional provisions and the democratic will of the people.
Members of the committee include former Senator representing Edo North, Senator Obende Domingo, as vice chairman; former Minister of Housing, Chief Essien Nduese; retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; retired Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Chief Mike Ejiofor; former Attorney-General of Cross River State, Mrs. Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and PANDEF Deputy National Secretary, Prince Godwin Okotie, who will serve as secretary.
Igali expressed confidence that the moral authority of PANDEF and the pedigree of the committee members would compel all parties to embrace dialogue and compromise. He noted that both the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Fubara are members of PANDEF and are expected to respect the outcome of the reconciliation process.
“It is our belief that as committed members of PANDEF and leaders with a stake in the Niger Delta, all parties involved will respect the process and abide by the outcome of the committee’s work,” Igali said.
The inauguration was witnessed by prominent Niger Delta leaders, including the pioneer military governor of Rivers State and Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff; former Akwa Ibom State governor, Obong Victor Attah; and former Chief of Staff to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadome. The leaders charged the committee to work expeditiously to deliver lasting peace.
In his acceptance speech, Agabi described the assignment as a solemn responsibility and called on all parties, particularly Wike and Fubara, to make sacrifices, embrace forgiveness and put the interest of Rivers people above personal differences.
He warned that allowing the crisis to persist would raise serious questions about the commitment of political actors to the welfare of the state and the stability of the nation.
“Rivers State is too important to Nigeria for anyone to stand by and do nothing,” he said, cautioning against unchecked escalation of the dispute.
Using the parable of the clam and the oyster, Agabi warned that unresolved conflict could leave all parties worse off. “Let Rivers State not be like the clam and the oyster that fought on the seashore until they were picked up by a fisherman and made into a meal,” he said.
Agabi stressed that the committee was not constituted to apportion blame or sit in judgment, but to appeal for reconciliation. He urged humility, restraint and willingness to make concessions, noting that true greatness lies in the capacity to forgive.
Earlier, King Diete-Spiff appealed to the committee to ensure genuine reconciliation, praying for divine guidance and urging both the minister and the governor to embrace peace in the interest of the state. Obong Attah, in his remarks, cautioned the panel to remain neutral, insisting that its loyalty must be to the people of Rivers State, not to any individual.
With the two-week deadline now set, expectations are high that PANDEF’s intervention will succeed in ending the political impasse and restoring stability to Rivers State.
