THE South-South Renewed Call 4 Resource Control, SSRC-4RC, yesterday, urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the crisis rocking Rivers State especially as regards the court ruling on allocation of the state.

The SSRC-4RC, in a statement by its Director of Strategy, Dr Omereji Amadi, tasked the president to prevent the enactment of the political imbroglio of the 1960s in the Western region/Nigeria.

In the statement titled: ‘Rivers State: Avioding a repeat of the calamity of the 1960s’, Amadi said: “An ominous cloud hangs over the nation today due to the unjust denial of the people of Rivers State of what is due to them from the federal purse.

“Rivers State and its people have provided Nigeria with oil wealth for over half a century. Still, the people of Rivers State are being denied what is rightfully theirs: their merited federal allocation.

“We do not think it is suitable for the people of Rivers State to suffer such economic deprivation to appease the bloated ego of one individual.

“All well-meaning Nigerians who followed the genesis of this problem had thought that wise counsel would prevail. That narrow-minded political gamesmanship would not be allowed to overshadow the overall interest of a very strategic state and the nation.

“A time like this calls for statesmanship in leadership; the overall interest of the nation must prevail over parochial political or individual interest.

“The question begging for an answer is this: how can a state that is a significant contributor to the wealth of our nation be denied its fair share of that wealth?

“This is an injustice that should not be allowed to stand in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria. It is against the law of nature to starve the goose that lays the golden egg.

“Through this intervention, we seek to do the right thing for the people of Rivers State. Let what is due to that state be released to them in order not to hinder the development and welfare of the people of Rivers State.

“We appeal to President Bola Tinubu to intervene to avert this crisis that may degenerate into nightmares such as the political imbroglio of the 1960s in the Western region/Nigeria.

“The lesson from our history is that a problem in a part of the nation, if not addressed fairly and equitably, can spiral into an uncontrollable national crisis.

“We believe that we should learn valuable lessons from our history and not allow this cycle of tragedy to arise again.

“This is the time for the right things to be done in Rivers State because it is easy to begin a bushfire, but no one can foretell the boundaries of its destructive conflagration.

“President Tinubu please put out this fire now.

“Mr President, your timely intervention is critical at this point to rein in and stop the architect and sponsor of this crisis.

“Nigeria has seen crises before—the pains of the past we do not wish to relive. We need leadership that can heal, not harm, unite, and not divide.

“Stand with Rivers State, Mr President, ensure the release of its due allocation, avert this crisis, and let justice reign.

“The people of Rivers deserve no less; denying them this is a recipe for unfathomable disaster.”