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Tag: Gov Fubara

  • Rivers Crisis: I could give up my office for peace to reign in the state – Gov. Fubara

    Rivers Crisis: I could give up my office for peace to reign in the state – Gov. Fubara

    Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that he’d be willing to give up his office in order for peace to reign  in the State.

    Fubara made this disclosure while granting an interview with African Independent Television, AIT on Thursday morning.

    Recall that Fubara and the former governor of the State, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has been enmeshed in a political crisis as a result of political differences.

    There has been  a supremacy battle between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike in the state and it has reached a  dramatic height, creating tension and anxiety before the intervention by President Bola Tinubu.

    Amid the crisis, Wike was alleged to have demanded a certain percentage of Rivers revenue, a claim he has denied.

    There was also an attempt by the State House of Assembly to impeach the governor.

    The Assembly complex was bombed in the process, with Wike accusing Fubara of orchestrating the act.

    Also, twenty-seven members of the State House of Assembly loyal to Wike defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in an attempt to impeach the governor.

    Tinubu would later move in to end the rift by brokering peace between Wike and Fubara, which many believed put Fubara in a disadvantageous position.

    However, the governor is now saying that no sacrifice would be too big for him to pay for the success of the administration.

    Fubara said he was more worried about the fate of Rivers people who had made sacrifices.

    He said: “No sacrifice would be too big for me to pay for the success of this administration. And the reason is simple: it’s not political love. It’s not because I want to gain any favour from anybody, my interest and love for our dear state is genuine. I am not trying to say I want to be one man that will be there to decide the fate of all. No. But let Rivers State remain.

    “My burden at that time was not the issue of all the drama, it is the issue of Rivers people who have made sacrifice, who are seeing opportunity, and it looks as if their hope has been dashed. They were the one I was worried about; what would be their fate, that was my trouble, it was not about me.

    “If leaving this position is what I need or what is needed to bring more peace to the State, I can even tell you to come and take it. It’s not about me. People should know although definitely I am here, I will go but Rivers State will remain.

    “I’m the governor, there are things I could have done and there would be total crisis but the ability to restrain in the face of crisis even when you have the power to do things is maturity.”

  • Why I can’t disclose the purpose of visiting Tinubu, says Fubara

    Why I can’t disclose the purpose of visiting Tinubu, says Fubara

    The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, held a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

    Fubara, who arrived at the Villa around 5.35 pm, left over an hour later.

    However, he refused to disclose the agenda and the outcome of the meeting, saying “It was a private visit”.

    The governor had recently visited the Villa for a peace meeting involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the President.

    Prior to the peace parley and the agreement, President Bola Tinubu had a closed-door meeting with Fubara, at the Presidential Villa Abuja.

    The governor was accompanied to the meeting by the former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, and other stakeholders from the state as the president waded in to resolve the face-off between the governor and his predecessor, Wike.

    The impeachment proceedings initiated against Fubara by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.

    It also directed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in the state “shall be withdrawn IMMEDIATELY”.

    The parties also agreed that the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule will be recognized alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.

    Other directives according to the document read, “The remunerations and benefits of ALL members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

    “The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the Executive arm of government.

    “The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.

    “The names of ALL commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval.

    “There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the Local Government administration is null and void and shall not be recognized.”

  • Rivers Police command speaks on attacking Gov. Fubara

    Rivers Police command speaks on attacking Gov. Fubara

    The Rivers state police command have finally reacted to claims that its personnel deliberately attacked Governor Siminalayi Fubara during his visit to the state House of Assembly complex in Port Harcourt.

    According to the governor, some policemen shot, tear-gassed and used water cannons on him and his aides while on his way to assess the arsonist-damaged state parliament building on Monday.

    Meanwhile a video that went viral on social media on Tuesday morning  also confirmed the governor’s claims of being tear gased

    The video generated a lot of negative reactions from Nigerians on social media.

    Reacting, the Spokesperson for the Police Command in Rivers, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, denied the alleged deliberate attack on the governor in a statement on Wednesday.

    She said the anti-protest policemen deployed to secure the state House of Assembly from further attacks were unaware that the governor was among the crowd approaching the facility.

    Iringe-Koko said, “Following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem, particularly at the House of Assembly, armed police operatives were deployed.

    “Also, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations (DC Ops) deployed the operatives based on the previous case of arson on the assembly building.

    “The DC Ops personally supervised (the police operatives) to intercept the ‘hoodlums’ and ensure the protection of lives and properties within the assembly facility and its environs.

    Iringe-Koko said during the operation, that protesting youths numbering over 100 stationed at the entrance of the assembly complex conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.

    “This led to the Police deploying non-lethal crowd control equipment, including tear gas and water cannons to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters.

    “However, some minutes later, another aggressive group of people approached the entrance of the complex and advanced toward the premises.

    “The Police, therefore, engaged them in a like manner but observed the Governor Siminalayi of Rivers State was in their midst.

    “The presence of the governor at the scene was of great surprise and shock as there was no prior communication to the Police on his visit to the scene (assembly building),” she stated.

    Iringe-Koko said the usual protocol for any governor visiting a crisis area was to inform the Police ahead to enable the command accompany and provide the governor with the needed security.

    She said upon realising the governor was among the crowd of persons approaching the assembly building, the DC Ops immediately ordered his men to stand down and give the governor access.

    “To this end, the governor and his entourage went inside the assembly complex to assess the level of damage caused by the fire incident.

    “It is pertinent to state that the Police did not deliberately attack the governor, or even attempt to hurt anyone, let alone the chief executive and security officer of the state.

    “It is our most essential role to protect the governor, and, as such, the news being peddled in some section of the media is a misrepresentation.

    In another development, Iringe-Koko confirmed the arrest of 122 suspects over alleged invasion of the official residence of the former Speaker of the House of Assembly in Rivers, Martins Amaewhule.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Amaewhule was on Monday impeached as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly by 26 lawmakers and replaced by Ehie Edison, representing Ahoada East II constituency.

    The police spokesperson alleged that the protesters led by one Chijioke Ihunwo on Wednesday forcefully gained entrance into the former speaker’s residence at Forces Avenue, Old GRA in Port Harcourt.

    “The youths damaged the gate of the house and while they were carrying out their nefarious activities, a distress call was put across to the control room of the command.

    “Thereafter, our tactical team was immediately deployed to the scene where 122 suspects including Ihunwo were arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

    “Consequently, we have placed adequate security at the State of Assembly complex; the Speaker’s residence and other strategic locations and infrastructure to forestall any ugly incident,” she stated.

    Iringe-Koko also noted that the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Nwony Emeka, had urged residents to go about their lawful duties as security measures have been put in place to de-escalate and restore normalcy.

     

  • BREAKING! Gov Fubara, Wike sighted in Aso Rock shaking hands

    BREAKING! Gov Fubara, Wike sighted in Aso Rock shaking hands

    The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara; and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, met at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

    The two were seen shaking hands upon meeting.

    The meeting of the two politicians and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) followed the impeachment proceedings launched against Fubara by the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday.

    Fubara; and Wike, the immediate-past governor of Rivers State, appeared to be in the Villa for a meeting of the Nigeria Police Council, a constitutional body that oversees the organisation and administration of the Nigeria Police Force.

    The Council is chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

    The governor of each state of the Federation, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission and the Inspector-General of Police make up the Council.

    The last time the Nigeria Police Council met was on June 4, 2021 and then-President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the meeting.

  • Rivers Crisis: Gov. Fubara holds emergency meeting with some House of Assembly members

    Rivers Crisis: Gov. Fubara holds emergency meeting with some House of Assembly members

    Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara held an emergency meeting with some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly today, Monday,

    According to sources, the meeting may not be unconnected with the recent crisis rocking the political space in the state, which first saw the suspension of the leader of the House, as well as six other members.

    The number of Assembly members present at the meeting as at the time of filing this report is unknown.

    Few journalists are waiting to be briefed by the Governor after the meeting.

    There are growing concerns that the immediate past governor of the state Nyesom Wike is behind the travails of the present governor, Siminalayi Fubara.