Rivers State leaders and elders under the aegis of Rivers Elders Forum (REF) yesterday said the allegation that Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike was behind the impeachmentmove against Governor Siminalayi Fubara was false.
The elders said the governor may have misinterpreted a mere internal crisis in the House of Assembly between the sacked Majority Leader, Edinson Ehie, and his other lawmakers.
The elders, in a statement by their Chairman, Chief Ferdinand Alabrabra, observed that the governor, having misread the internal brawl as an existential threat, gave the situation an ethnic coloration.
Elders who endorsed the statement were Sam Sam Jaja, former Deputy National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chairman, Rivers State Council of Traditional Ruler, Sergeant Awuse; Chief Emmanuel Anyanwu, Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Okey Chinda and Senator Olaka Nwogu.
On what led to the crisis, the elders said: “We are aware that there was a pre-existing problem between Ehie, the then majority leader, and his colleagues that culminated in his removal.
“That to forestall his impeding removal, the hallowed chamber of the Assembly was burnt and that Fubara believed that Ehie’s removal was a precursor to his impeachment, which is not true.
“The misrepresentation of the internal wrangling among the members prompted the governor’s immediate intervention, making a characterised legislative brawl as an existential threat. This caused governor and his newly assembled supporters to give the action of the Assembly members an ethnic coloration and prompted youths of Ijaw extraction to rally behind the governor in the name of Ijaw nationalism.
“The hasty reaction of the governor has now pitched His Excellency, Sim Fubara, and state Assembly members in an all out battle that had led to the activation for the process of impeachment of the governor.
“The governor neither sought the help, clarification, intervention of Wike and the elders on the development, nor did he discourage damaging lies to be peddled against Wike.
“Nyesom Wike has been viciously attacked by sections of the media and the public as the evil mastermind of the scheme and series of events he was neither involved in nor privy to”.
The elders lamented that the action of Fubara led to the peddling of false allegations that Wike demanded money from the governor, adding that the governor showed ingratitude and bad faith by not immediately debunking the accusations.
Describing the allegations against Wike as false, wicked, unfair and satanic, the elders said they were only designed to discredit the minister before the gullible public.
They added: “The false stories were peddled that Wike demanded money from the governor in order to discredit him before a gullible public, which is very sad. We confirm that the allegations are wicked, unfair, satanic
“The governor being aware of the lies and not debunking them showed bad faith and ingratitude. Governor Fubara is aware that Nyesom Wike invested heavily in the infrastructural development of Rivers State.
“Wike was selfless and applied the funds of the state judiciously. He did not steal or misappropriate Rivers State funds. To insinuate that today or create the impression that he was asking for money is most unfortunate and regrettable”
The elders said in their efforts to resolve the crisis, they visited Wike and assured him of their steadfast, complete and undiluted loyalty.
They stressed: “Know that Wike has consistently fought for and defended the interest of Rivers State at all times. At our visit to Wike, elders assured him of our steadfast, complete and undiluted loyalty. We apologise for the embarrassment caused him by Fubara and all others, who played vicious roles in the unfortunate drama”.
The elder rejected the insinuations of ethnicity by some Ijaw leaders from other states, saying they had forgotten how Wike insisted on producing a riverine governor of the Ijaw extraction.
They said: “We vehemently condemned the insinuations of some Ijaw leaders from some other states who so soon have forgotten that it was Wike who insisted on producing a Rivers governor of Ijaw extraction and paid a heavy political price.
“Wike has since facilitated the appointments of more Ijaw sons since he came to Abuja, including Boma Iyaye, Executive Director Finance, NDDC, and Rufus Godwin as member of the Federal Civil Service Commission.
“Wike has done more for Ijaw sons and daughters of ethnic nationality than most of these leaders. In fact, Wike’s efforts to make Sim Fubara governor was rejected and opposed largely by Ijaws then than any other tribe or ethnic group”.
The elders affirmed that Ehie was properly removed as the Leader of the House, noting that Amaewhule remained the authentic Speaker of the House of Assembly.
They insisted that Fubara must take urgent steps to correct the false narratives against Wike to provide a window for true reconciliation.
They warned persons advising Fubara to engage Wike in a needless battle to desist and allow the governor concentrate on consolidating the achievements of Wike.
They said: “On the Assembly, we confirmed that Amaewhule is the authentic Speaker and Ehie and company validly suspended. We wish to express our gratitude to Wike for the audience and amiable disposition to continue work selflessly for our state and accepting the mediation of the elders.
“We urge Fubara to please, take urgent steps to correct some of the false narratives against Wike thus providing a window for mediatory talks and a way forward. We advise those encouraging the governor to engage in a fruitless and needless battle with Wike to desist fortwith and allow the governor concentrate on consolidating on the extraordinary achievement with Wike while he was the governor.
“Our pact with Rivers people is unbroken. They gave us the mandate in the last election following the achievements of Wike and trust that the candidate from our political family will continue this work. We cautioned those new friends of Fubara to retract their steps before they throw the state into deeper crisis. We the elders stand with Wike to ensure we work with him and all involved to bring peace to Rivers”.
They passed a vote of confidence in Wike as the indisputable leader of their political family in Rivers and credited him for producing all elected members of the family.
They said: “Nyesom Wike is the undisputable leader of the political family that produced Governor Sim Fubara, the three senators in the National Assembly, the 11 members of the House of Representatives and all 32 members of the House of Assembly,.all 23 chairmen and the entire councilors of the 23 local government areas.
“Fubara and all the above elected office holders in Rivers belong to the same political family and are abound by our philosophy to transform, build, develop and create the Rivers State of our dreams in consonance with our new Rivers vision devoid of ethnicity, tribe, creed and gender”
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