The Ijaw National Congress, INC, has raised alarm over the economic consequences of the emergency rule imposed in Rivers State, saying that more than 10,000 jobs have been lost in the last six months.
INC President, Professor Benjamin Okaba, made the disclosure on Wednesday, while speaking on Arise Television.
He lamented that the emergency rule declared in March has crippled several sectors in the oil-rich state.
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“Six months of emergency rule in Rivers State, spanning from March 18th to the present, has resulted in significant losses across multiple sectors,” Okaba said.
He explained that the suspension of the state’s democratic structures had worsened the situation.
According to him, “With the suspension of the governor, deputy governor, and legislature, a form of dictatorship was effectively put in place, represented by the sole administrator appointed.”
President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers on March 18, 2025, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and all members of the State House of Assembly.
A sole administrator was subsequently installed to oversee governance in the state.
Okaba maintained that the measure has had devastating implications on employment and economic stability, noting that small and medium-scale businesses were the worst affected.
He urged the Federal Government to reconsider the continued imposition of emergency rule in Rivers and allow democratic governance to return.
“The people of Rivers State deserve a return to democracy, stability, and accountability, not a structure that cripples livelihoods and undermines freedom,” he stressed.
