Former Minister of Transportation and former Director-General of the defunct Atiku Abubakar Presidential campaign committee in Rivers, Abiye Sekibo, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory FCT to order over alleged plan to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Sekibo who was flanked by members of the defunct Atiku Abubakar Presidential campaign committee said they are saddened by alleged actions of Wike to stoke up political crisis in state.
Dr. Sekibo who is a former Secretary to Rivers State Government and Minister of Transportation said the elections are since over and the Supreme Court has ruled on the finality of that contest, pronounced Tinubu as the duly elected President of Nigeria.
He stated further that as law-abiding citizens, and responsible leaders of our party in Rivers State, they recognised the elected President of our country and pledge full support for the success of his administration for the benefit of all Nigerians.
In effect, we subscribe to the Renewed Hope Agenda and the President’s efforts at strengthening our economy, promoting peace and harmony in our dear country, Nigeria.
“In the same vein, His Excellency, Amaopusenibo Sir Siminalayi Fubara was elected democratically as Governor of Rivers State, and also confirmed by the Supreme Court. As indigenes of Rivers State, we have no choice but to give our dear Governor our total loyalty and support for the progress of our State. In that same vein, we urge our Governor and Mr President to work together for the good of Rivers people. With the elections over, now is the time for real governance for the progress of our nation.
Dr. Sekibo regretted that “Today, we are sad because in the last few months, the peace of our state has been disturbed by the actions of one man who believes that more than 7 million Rivers people are his slaves for electing him as their Governor for 8 years. Our people are not a conquered lot and would never subscribe to the mentality of conquest. We also refuse to be divided along tribal or ethnic lines.
Sekibo alleged that the Minister unfortunately, he has consistently abused the privilege that God bestowed upon him through the votes of the people.
He also said that “Lately, he has resorted to insulting our revered leader, and former Governor, His Excellency Sir Dr Peter Odili, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON); and his wife Her Excellency Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili, CFR, JSC, DSSRS because they refused to support him in his failed attempt to impeach the duly elected Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS).
The group stated emphatically members have nothing against Mr. President compensating Nyesom Wike with the office of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. However, we owe the President a duty to explain some facts and advise him on the character and machinations of his appointee.
The group advised the President to have a very close monitoring of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The group alleged further “The FCT Minister has threatened publicly to destabilize the peace in Rivers State. The President has a duty to call him to order. We the Rivers people will not standby while an individual decides that we will not sleep with our two eyes closed. The Holy book says ‘He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind’. If Wike troubles Rivers people, he shall surely inherit the wind.
“All well-meaning Rivers people are advising the President to call his appointee to order.
“We wish to let the President know that a vast majority of Rivers people are solidly with our Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and will not allow an illegal and unconstitutional Assembly of any sort, impeach him or disrupt the smooth governance of our dear state and cause a breach of the public peace.
President Tinubu is further reminded that Rivers State is too economically strategic for the nation to be toyed with, especially at a time when our nation is looking to maximize her oil production to meet her OPEC quota.
” Finally, we call on all Nigerians irrespective of party, tribal or ethnic affiliations to rally round the President Tinubu administration, so that working together, we will collectively overcome these hard economic and security challenges facing us all.”
In a swift reaction, a loyalist of Wike and former factional Chairman of All Progressives Congress APC,Rt. Hon. Igo Aguma warned Governor Fubara of the group while likening their members to jackals.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page,
He said “I call on our Governor, His Excellency to beware of these jackals with no know business in life other than feeding fat on the resources of Rivers people on contracts awarded and mostly not done and even when forced to do them, they did so at a great cost to Rivers people through variations and the like.
“These Jackals must live off crisis and thrive on promoting crisis. They did so between Odili and Amaechi, between Amaechi and Wike and are doing so now between Wike and the current Governor.
Aguma alleged that “The Obi Wali conference center was a failed project awarded first to one of these jackals, he ate the money and abandoned the project only for it to be re-awarded to another company by another governor. The same person was awarded the road to his community in Andoni, it is a shame that even after failing to build the road to his own community after receiving over 95% of the payment he has the effrontery to rear his head before a Governor he vomited claiming to support him and Mr President HIs Excellency, Ahmed Tinubu. This also applies to all of them who addressed the press conference today.
“I call on His Excellency the governor to be wary of these hawks who worked against his emergence, worked against the President and are now positioning as his cardinals.
They were cardinals in Our Leader Odili’s government, they were cardinals in Omehia’s government, they were cardinals in Amaechi’s government so also in Wike’s government and now they have positioned themselves to be cardinals in Sim Fubara’s government. They will only milk Rivers State further and abandon the Governor towards the end of his tenure.
“If at their 70s and late 60s they can add no value to Rivers people in mediating peace but are poised to further eat into the future of their children and grand children, they are indeed a liability Rivers State people have gone past”.
Meanwhile, those present at the press conference include: Senator Lee Maeba, Uche Secondus, (former National Chairman of PDP),Tamuno Sisi Gogo Jaja, immediate past Commissioner for Water Resources, Austin Opara, a former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives among others.
