Rivers Crisis Perspective: Magnus Abe Calls For Prioritizing Competence Over Loyalty

Rivers State has become embroiled in a political turmoil due to the attempt to impeach the State Governor, Sim Fubara, orchestrated by State House of Assembly members aligned with Wike…CONTINUE READING

In an interview with Arise News on Thursday, Abe expressed his concerns about the ongoing political unrest in the state, stressing that internal conflicts are causing substantial harm to the state.

The former legislator underscored the immediate necessity for a peaceful resolution and highlighted the adverse effects of political disputes on the state and its residents.

As a prominent member of the SDP, he also made an earnest plea to all parties involved to seek common ground and refrain from prioritizing loyalty over honesty, integrity, competence, and capability.

Abe stated: “In Rivers State today, our discussions often overlook crucial statistics. How many of our fellow Rivers residents have access to clean drinking water? How many of our young people are gainfully employed.

How widespread is access to electricity? What is the quality of public education? These are the vital figures we ought to be addressing, but regrettably, politics absorbs all the attention and resources. In the end, it’s the people of Rivers who bear the brunt.

“I earnestly implore all parties, and I say this with the utmost sincerity, to find common ground. No one is above or below the other.

This notion that one person holds supreme power and, consequently, their position must be unquestioned in any agreements or negotiations aimed at securing peace is a recurring problem.

“In Nigerian politics, we often prioritize loyalty above all else. When we neglect honesty, integrity, competence, and capability and fixate solely on loyalty, we find ourselves in a situation where everyone surrounding the influential figure is loyal but gradually loses touch with the reality faced by the ordinary citizens.

Instead of having a government of the people, we end up with a government apart from the people.”