BREAKING NEWS: IJAW NATIONAL CONGRESS
PRESS RELEASE:
IN RIVERS STATE; NIGERIA SHOULD BEWARE OF THE IDES OF MARCH:
We are once again compelled to make our interventions on the various crises in Rivers State which are contrived and engineered to truncate democracy with the evil agenda of impeaching the duly elected governor of Rivers State, Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara.
When this wanton attempt blew up in October 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called Stakeholders to a meeting and tabled an 8-point directive to all parties involved to return peace to Rivers State.
Whereas many of our people considered Mr President's 8-Point directive as manifestly slanted against the governor's interest and in favour of his FCT Minister Barr Wike, the Governor acceded to it.
FUBARA'S GOOD FAITH:
On his return from the meeting called by Mr President, Gov Fubara immediately implemented the terms of the President's directive by withdrawing all court cases instituted by him and reinstating the removed members of the state executive council; a council brimming with stool pigeons and fifth columnists who treated him with disrespect and shabbily run their affairs in a bid to create internal combustion to derail the government.
BARR. NYEASOME WIKE’s BAD FAITH:
Barr. Nyeasom Wike on his part acted in bad faith by bluntly refusing to withdraw the court cases instituted by him and even started taking precipitate actions to preempt the attainment of peace.
Less than three weeks after the Presidential directives, Mr Martins Amaewhule led 25 Members of Rivers State House of Assembly to defect to the opposition All People's Congress, APC. This baffling action, was a classic case of political suicide as it automatically terminated their membership of the parliament and therefore made it impossible for the fulfillment of another of the President's directives (the representation of the 2024 budget to the Martins Amaewhule led House of Assembly).
GOVERNOR FUBARA AND GOVERNOR WIKE’s PUBLIC COMMENTARIES:
While at every step of the way Governor Fubara had played the peacemaker in words and actions, Barr Wike has maintained a torrent of reckless words and actions, creating the impression that either Mr President, his boss had no control over him, or they were working in sync to undermine the whole process while Mr President is paying lip service to the cause of peace in Rivers State. This calls to question the fidelity of the President's relationship with both Governor Fubara and ex-Governor Wike.
MR. PRESIDENT’s CLOUDY STANDS IN RIVERS CRISIS:
A critical observation of Mr. President’s body language put to question his neutrality, integrity, honesty and good faith. This is manifestly so, as there are no consequences on Wike continuous threats that he will not allow Fubara to sleep and that he will "put fire" in the states of other PDP governor's who shows solidarity to Fubara.
The curiosity of Mr. President neutrality and fidelity comes from the willingness of Federal institutions such as The Nigeria Police and High Courts in Abuja working according to the directives of Wike by sealing up Local Government Secretariats in Rivers State, with the Courts granting orders barring the Police from providing security in any part of Rivers State for a whole day!
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN RIVERS STATE:
While Gov Fubara proceeded to obey the Supreme Court order that Local Government Areas in Nigeria MUST be administered by elected officers, without which funds must be withdrawn, Wike and his group took every reprobate steps to truncate the elections. The Wike-controlled PDP in Rivers State boycotted the polls, instituted frivolous litigations and the the treasonous act of arson carried out by gangs chanting "no Wike,no Rivers State".
The acts of arson were carried out in the very day the Police lifted their siege on the LGA Secretariats.
These acts of arson were clearly orchestrated and well executed plans targeted at the accounts departments in the LGA offices to cover up massive fraud carried out mostly by those Local Government Areas from which illegal funds were siphoned to oil the machinery of Wike's political adventures and unpatriotic brinkmanship.
THE PUBLIC SHOULD NOTE THAT:
(1) It crystal clear from the aforementioned that Gov Fubara obeyed the Presidential directive while Barr Wike flouted it with ignominy, without any known consequences.
(2) Gov Fubara worked took assiduous steps to actualize the return of elected officers to the local government areas in accordance with the manifest desires of Mr President, backed by the Supreme Court judgement while Wike fought the process with court cases, civil disobedience and actions of violence by his known henchmen.
(3) Gov. Fubara holds permanent olive branches, sending constant peace emissaries to Gov. Wike. Gov Wike on the on the other hand continues to threaten the peace and stability of Rivers State and Nigeria by his incendiary words, and actions. Wike operates without checks, as if there is no authority over him.
CONCLUSION:
We Ijaw people and the world are asking: “When will Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria call Gov. Wike to order?
We understood the dictates of politics and the need to hervest Rivers votes for the President’s second tenure elections. What we misunderstand is the thought that only Gov. Wike can assist the President to win Rivers. We concede that Wike produced some illusionary, disputable and magical votes for the President in the past election. What should be known is that Wike leveraged on the fact that he was the Governor. Whatever happens this time Wike can never be Governor of Rivers again.
Mr. President, sir. As the father of the Nation, the alter ego of Nigeria, we are fervently appealing to you to call Wike to order for the sake of peace, security and tranquility of Nigeria. Stop this drift towards National disintegration and anarchy now!
A stitch in time, they say saves nine
Long live ljaw nation
Long live Nigeria
Prof. Benjamin O. Okaba,
President,
Ijaw National Congress (INC)
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