South-south governors support state of emergency, says Imoke

By The Citizen

The Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, has given reason why South South governors supported the emergency rule imposed on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said this will help restore normalcy to the states that have been taken over by insurgents.

Imoke who is the Chairman of the South South Governors Forum, called for wider support for President Jonathan’s declaration of state of emergency in the three states in the wake of spiralling security challenges.

Imoke, who was at the Presidential Villa to see the President over the commissioning of some completed projects in his state, said the measure was appropriate and deserved commendation.

According to him: “The South South governors forum endorsed the state of emergency by Mr. President and we asked him to be firmed on security, he is enjoying popular support of the security adviser and the National security Council on the state of emergency.

“His actions are positive, the democratic institutions are still in place and I think is very significant and commendable, I think is for us now to throw our support behind the President, encourage him in dealing with this insurgency and ensure those states are returned to normalcy”.

On why he was in the Presidential Villa, Imoke said, “We have a number of things we have done and we want Mr. President to come and help us with our commissioning”.

On the rift between President Jonathan and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Ameachi, Imoke denied knowledge saying, “I don’t think my colleague from Rivers State is having disagreement with Mr. President, he might have disagreement with his colleagues governors”.

On his position on the demand by the north that power must return to that region, Imoke said the country’s democracy has matured with the emergence of a minority as President and so it should be maintained.

“Everybody has the right to agitate and to contest. This is the first time we will have a president from the minority part of this country and I think it speaks volume about the maturity of our democracy in this country and I think we need to sustain that”.