The shock seems over and realities seem to dawn on the people. Those who thought that State of Emergency (SOE) was fun now seem to feel the pains or the sense of loss.
Now, protests have taken over. In Rivers State where women are usually put forward to represent the grievances of the society, no day seems to pass without one group of women or the other marching round the cities.
Last week Friday, a crowd of women on flooded the Aba Road area of Port Harcourt, demanding the reinstatement of the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
According to Channels Television reports, the protest, which began along the major road, and advanced to the Rivers State Government House, featured placards with bold inscriptions such as “Bring back Fubara”, “Save our democracy”, “Is the law different for Rivers State?”, and “God of justice, arise for Rivers State.”
Chanting songs of solidarity, the women, who described themselves as mothers and wives, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu to lift the suspension on Governor Fubara and reinstate all democratic institutions in the state.
They decried what they referred to as “unconstitutional military rule masked as a state of emergency,” insisting that Rivers people deserve better than what they termed an undemocratic arrangement.
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Speaking, some of the protesters and leaders expressed frustration over the ongoing political crisis in the state. They noted that despite the situation, Governor Fubara has continued to work, delivering the dividends of democracy.
Now, as is usual in the state, when one group starts to protest, the opponents would mount even a bigger protest until nobody knows the aggrieved camps. Protests have always been highjacked in Rivers State.
Different amounts are being touted as what is paid to each protester, in a region where protests are almost a career or at least an income earner.
As usual, the police have work to do, for or against. They can be found protecting one group and can be seen attacking another group doing the same protest, though for different beneficiaries.
That is why those covering the protests report orderly exercises in one location and attacks by the police in another.
One reporter called out the police imagemaker to the situation information at her desk accused men of the State Police command of teargassing women protesting in favour of the suspended Governor of the State at Ahoada, while the same Police gave full cover to women in white attire that protested for FCT Minister in Port Harcourt.
The protests are said to also tear families and friends apart. In one situation, a citizen identified a woman who was denied promotion for over eight years but was not promoted all through the previous administration but the moment Fubara came, she got promoted many folds. The same woman was spotted on facebook wearing white to protest against same man that fed her family.
Now, a man allegedly assaulted his wife, causing a head injury. The incident occurred after she allegedly received 2,000 Naira to participate in a rally organized by camp of those that oppressed her husband.
According to reports, the man (name withheld) who is a civil servant in Rivers State Ministry of Education became angry over his dissatisfaction with the former governor of Rivers State whom he felt did not employ or promote civil servants during his eight years tenure.
However, his anger was further provoked when he recalled how the last N100,000 Christmas bonus, provided by Gov Fubara, saved his family as he used it to settle their rent.
