- Lawmakers blocked me from presenting 2025 budget – Fubara
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has downplayed concern that the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State would lead to anarchy in the oil producing state.
Wike made the assertion on Wednesday in a live television interview.
He also slammed the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum who met President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to proffer solution to the festering political crisis in River State as an unreliable organisation, made up of political merchants, only motivated by money.
He concluded that if the governor had indeed breached the tenets of the constitution and the House of Assembly deems the infraction an impeachable offence, then the governor should be impeached.
“If you have committed an offence to be impeached what’s wrong? Is it a criminal offence? It’s provided in the constitution.
“And let me tell you, and I have heard people say, ‘oh, if they impeach him, there’ll be breakdown’ and all that. Rubbish. Nonsense. Who is he? Nonsense. Tell me who are the militants? Who is not a militant? Who is born as a militant? No, tell me the person that’s born as a militant . The day you were given birth to, they say you’re a militant? Who is not a militant? Who cannot blow up the pipeline? Why do you arrogate this power to a certain group of people? The Ijaw people are the only people who can blow a pipeline? What nonsense is that? Who told you Ogoni people cannot break the pipeline? Who told you Ikwere people cannot blow up pipelines? Who told you Ekpeye people cannot blow up pipelines? Who is the one doing the contract of the pipeline? Is he not an Ijaw son? Is he not Tompolo? Is it not a Tantita they gave the contract to do the surveillance? And the same Ijaw people are going to blow a pipeline and somebody will hear that? That’s crap. The moment I heard that, I said to hell. How dare you threaten a country? How dare you? The threat does not exist. These are political things planted by some people in government.
“Look, all of us know ourselves. You make an appointment as MD of NDDC, they threaten, they will blow the pipeline. You make an appointment here, they threaten, they blow the pipeline. What kind of country are we in? As a sitting president, you’re threatening me that if you follow what the court said, I will blow up everywhere. Let the whole country be blown up. People must learn, enough is enough. You don’t tell anybody that,” Wike said.
The minister warned the Ijaw ethnic group against threatening the peace in Rivers State with the threat to blow up pipelines in the event the governor, who is of Ijaw stock is impeached, saying the Ijaw do not constitute the majority of the Niger Delta.
“People must speak the truth. Heaven will not fall. You only die once, not two times. Let me say something and people should have that right: the Ijaw does not constitute the majority of the Niger Delta. Every day you wake up, Ijaw will do this. In Akwa Ibom, Ijaw cannot be governor. In Delta, Ijaw is a minority. With all the respect to our late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, he’s from Niger Delta. He had never produced an Ijaw man to be governor of Delta. The only place Ijaw can solely be governor is in Bayelsa State. Not in Edo, not in Rivers. It’s a minority of the minorities. Out of our own benevolence, live and let live. If it is by strength, it cannot be the Ogonis. It cannot be the Ekpeyes. It cannot be the Ikweres. It cannot. Every time you hear this, Ijaws said this, Ijaws just didn’t say this. What kind of system are we talking about? In fact, when I brought this governor, they said, he is not the real Ijaw that if they are taking about real Ijaws, it should come to the Kalabaris, that how can you say if they want to give power to Ijaws, it should be the Opobo. You see the problem that we’re in. And you close your eyes, you did it. All those who fought me, who said, no, we cannot accept this, are the ones parading themselves, hanging around him, taking his money,” Wike said.
The minister also derided PANDEF as unreliable, noting they can sell people for money.
These leaders look at the comments they have made. Mr. President intervened in this matter. The Vice President was there. The National Security Adviser was there. National Security Adviser signed for implementation of peace. This same PANDEF came out and said, Mr. President has no right. They took Mr. President to court. People like Chief Sara-Igbe, one of the worst persons you can ever think of. One of the political merchants I know. King Diete-Spiff, whom I respected, went to Government House. Look at the statement he made. ‘I’m an Ijaw man. You’re an Ijaw man. Call us, we’ll be with you’. An elder statesman would you go and make such a statement? Now you are the same person coming again now to go and meet Mr. President to intervene. Intervene what? Mr. President that has no right. Mr. President that he took to court, that he has no power to intervene. They took Mr. President to court from the State High Court in Rivers State to the Court of Appeal, they lost. Now down to the Supreme Court. Now people do things, they don’t want to go back to let people know the correct thing. Now the Supreme Court has given judgment. Now you are going to tell the President to do what? That the President should do what? That Supreme Court’s judgment should not be obeyed.”
Lawmakers blocked me from presenting 2025 budget – Fubara
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has accused lawmakers of denying him access to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill at the Assembly Quarters, despite officially notifying the House leadership of his readiness to do so.
Fubara made the disclosure on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Bori Zonal Hospital in Khana Local Government Area.
The governor lamented that, in line with the Supreme Court judgment, all stakeholders should prioritize safeguarding the state’s economy and ensuring that civil servants do not suffer unnecessary hardship.
He said, “I made frantic efforts to reach the Speaker, which I believe he cannot deny, alongside other members of the Assembly.
“I even sent WhatsApp messages to them, notifying them that I would be coming at 10 am to present the budget. This was to ensure that Rivers State does not face any crisis because of me, as some have alleged.
“But unfortunately, when we got there this morning, we were denied access. And the next thing I heard was that no communication was made. I leave everything to God, who sees all things in secret.”
The governor insisted that he followed due process to resolve the situation and expressed hope that the lawmakers would eventually comply with the Supreme Court ruling.
He stated, “I am aware of reports in the media claiming there was no communication or effort on my part. So, I am using this platform to clarify the situation.
“Like I have always said, nothing lasts forever. Even the greatest power eventually comes to an end. What matters is how we use power. I have chosen not to abuse mine, no matter what they claim.
“When power is abused, it leads to situations like this. But I will remain restrained because I know that there is life after power.”
