Members of the National Assembly from Rivers State have called on President Bola Tinubu, to call his Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, to order over the political crisis rocking their state.
This is coming amidst the gale of resignations of Commissioners in Fubara’s Cabinet in the past 48 hours
Awaji-Inombek Abiante commended Governor Fubara for taking steps to renovate the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and showing leadership amidst the political crisis in the State.
This came as two Federal lawmakers from the state led a solidarity walk in support of the programmes and activities of the governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The protest started from CFC Junction on Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway and terminated at Government House.
Boma Goodhead of Asari Toru/Akuku Toru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Hon Awaji-Inombek Abiante representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency, led the peaceful walk.
The peaceful protesters insisted that the Governor is being intimidated by the former governor, Wike, because he (Fubara) refused to be loyal to a godfather but chose to be loyal to the people who gave him the mandate to govern them.
Speaking, Goodhead, alleged that Wike only comes into the state to disturb the peace of the state and urged Tinubu to call his Minister to order.
She said: “We want to send a clear message to the Federal Government of Nigeria, we are here to send a message to President Bola Tinubu to call Wike to order.
“Because the next time he comes into Rivers State to disturb the peaceful people of the state we will not sit down and fold our hands anymore. Please instruct the security agencies to arrest the former governor of the state.”
Also, Abiante, representing the Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency, noted that he his counterpart were in the state to relate the stand of other lawmakers to people of the state, commending Fubara for taking steps to renovate the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and showing leadership amidst the political crisis in the State.
He said: “There have been some happening in the state, we are here to encourage the governor and to tell Rivers People that this is the position of their representatives and offer explanation where necessary and also engage with our constituents to understand if there is any shift in the position that they have taken.
“There is always a prize to be paid for liberty and that is standing strong, standing firm. The governor decided after a structural integrity test that the chambers failed to give the Rivers people befitting chambers for legislative function and why that is ongoing an alternative has been provided.
“For the illegal members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, not for those who voluntarily resigned and relinquished their responsibilities but for those who are standing with the Rivers people, who know they got there on the mandate and the sweat and sacrifice of the Rivers people they have provided an alternative place to seat.
“No king reigns forever, this is the time for another king who has been lawfully elected.”
Sheath your swords – LP begs Wike, Fubara
The Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 election in Rivers State, Mrs Beatrice Itubo, has regretted that the political crisis rocking the State is affecting businesses and livelihood of people of the state.
Itubo, a former Chairperson of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Port Harcourt called on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike, and the governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to seek an avenue of resolving the lingering political crisis.
The Labour candidate said she had visited the governor to see how her party can help broker peace in the interest of the state, adding that the people should be the utmost concern at every time.
Itubo cried that people are afraid of coming into the state because of the ongoing war, calling on Wike, Fubara all the lawmakers to sheath their swords in the interest of peace and development of the state.
He said: “Holiday seekers are no longer coming into our state, the hotels are empty, other businesses are beginning to feel the impact of the trouble that is going on and if we do not as neutral persons reach out to these gladiators and their fans now, a time will come when we will no longer be safe going out of our houses because of fear of being caught in the crossfire in the hostilities.
“May I as a mother and stakeholder in the governance of this state appeal to the immediate past governor of the state, Nysom Wike, to as a matter of urgency and as a father to immediately leave whatever grievances he may have against the governor.
“And the governor too, should on his part caution his fans to stop all comments on and off social media that may tend to further exacerbate the already tense situation in the state.”
Itubo urged Fubara to engage more mediators to interface with all the actors, noting that there must be sacrifice for there to be peace.
“The governor should engage more mediators and peacemakers to help quell the situation and we must all understand that we do not have another state aside from Rivers State and the interest of Rivers State should supersede every other interest all of us has. We must make sacrifices for our continued peace and development,” he said
