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Tag: Fubara and Wike

  • I will disclose our agreement with Fubara, says Wike

    I will disclose our agreement with Fubara, says Wike

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, yesterday said he would soon make public  the peace agreement reached between him and Rivers State Governor  Siminalayi Fubara  before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Wike spoke during a ‘Thank You Visit’ to Tai Local Government  Area.

    President Tinubu, in June  brokered a peace deal between Wike and Fubara that ended the protracted political crisis that engulfed the state.

    The minister accused Fubara of allegedly reneging   on the  agreement saying; ‘very soon, we will let people know what we agreed on before Mr President.’

    He advised the people of Tai against dealing with people who cannot keep their promise in the name of politics, stressing that such people should not be trusted.

    The minister, who said the Rivers people are battle ready for 2027 elections, warned that money will not determine the outcome of the election.

    According to him, what mattered  is the will of the people.

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    Wike said he was in the  local government to thank the people of Tai for standing by him and President Tinubu.

    He said: “It was a tough battle in 2023. You took a risk, worked with us and God gave us victory.

    “See what the risk had resulted to – a federal university sited in Tai and many other benefits”.

    Senator  Barry Npigi (APC – Rivers Southeast) thanked Tinubu and Wike for the support in the senatorial district. He said  “the people never had it this good”.

    Npigi assured Wike that the  people were available to do his bidding for  justice, equity and fairness that they see in Tinubu.

    “I want to assure you on behalf of the people of Rivers Southeast, that we will continue to be with you,” he said.

    Also, Mr Bernard Nbar, representing Tai Constituency in Rivers Assembly,  assured Wike of the continued support of his constituents.

    “You can count on the Tai people, because Tai people keep to their words,” Nbar said.

    Chairman of Tai Local Government, Mbakpone Okpe, thanked Wike for interacting with Tai people.

    Okpe said that the minister’s directive to vote Tinubu in 2023 was a blessing following the good things that have continued to follow his people.

    He said; “Our people have continued to benefit from appointments, infrastructure, empowerment and other dividends of democracy.

    “For these reasons and more, we are eager to return Mr President for a second tenure. We will roll out all our votes for Tinubu and whoever you support”.

    FCT minister: Tinubu kept to agreement made to Rivers 

    The President  yesterday got plaudits from Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike  for keeping to promises made to the people of Rivers State during the  campaign ahead  of the 2023 presidential election.

    Wike compared Tinubu to  Governor Siminalayi Fubara, whom he said has not kept to agreement made to his people.

    It was  when he visited Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers.

    He said Tinubu has put smiles on the faces of the people of Rivers, adding that they will  support  his re-election.

    The minister said that part of the decision was to support Tinubu’s re-election for a second term and correct the leadership mistake in Rivers.

    He stressed that no amount of money would change their course, saying; “when they lose power they will know what they have done.

    “Ask your governor what he told President Bola Tinubu during the meeting. If he did not say anything, I will.

    “President Bola Tinubu has kept to agreement while governor did not.

    “We have done it before and we are going to do it again. We are prepared; we have made a decision and we are not going back. I want you to be strong. Nobody will intimidate us”.

    He explained that the people that were entrusted with power in Rivers have been misled by money and power, adding that greed and lack of gratitude lead to downfall.

    He said he was in the community to thank Eleme people for standing firm with Tinubu; “and I want to say that I have not taken your support for granted.

    “In spite of all the troubles, Tinubu decided that I, a Southsouth person, should be the Minister of FCT. It has never happened before.

    “Also, the ongoing development in this area has never happened before until Tinubu became President”.

    Earlier, Chief Aforji Igwe, representing Eleme in Rivers Assembly, described Wike as a “fair, just and a man of integrity”

    Igwe pledged the support of Eleme people to the minister due to his outstanding support to the people.

    Also, Chairman of Eleme Council, Chief Obarilormate Ollor, hailed Wike for what he described as all the infrastructural intervention in the area during his time as governor of Rivers.

    Ollor assured Wike that the people were with him and ready to go wherever he asked them to go.

    He said the people were already aware of his directive for the re-election of Tinubu but awaiting the directive for the governorship election in 2027.

  • ‘I’ve forgiven Fubara – Wike

    ‘I’ve forgiven Fubara – Wike

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike declared that he has forgiven Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

    He spoke while reacting to issues on Channels Television Politics Today monitored by The Nation. 

    Wike commended President Bola Tinubu for lifting the emergency rule imposed on Rivers, describing the move as a courageous intervention that restored calm.

    He said: “I must commend Mr. President for lifting the emergency rule in Rivers, so many people, so many people became constitutional experts, senior advocates and analysts because of the so-called emergency rule. 

    “I believe so many of the Rivers people are happy because of what Mr President has done. And what did he do? What was the basis of declaring the state of emergency?”

    The former Rivers Governor explained that the initial decision to declare emergency rule was tied to constitutional issues highlighted by the Supreme Court.

    Wike said: “The basis was that one, the Supreme Court said there was no governance in Rivers because at that time it was only one arm of government that was functioning, being the executive, as if it was functioning. 

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    “The legislature was not in existence. At the local government level, the Supreme Court set aside a purported election that was held that was not in consonance with the law. And remember that before now, the supreme court said, ‘look, you cannot have a caretaker committee in the local governments because Section 7 of the Constitution, as amended, guarantees the existence of the local government and therefore if there’s no local government, you cannot derive from the Federation Account’,” he stated.

    According to Wike, President Tinubu stepped in because failure to act decisively could have escalated into a deeper crisis.

    “And the President said so many other things that came to the fact that if we don’t take these actions then there will be a serious crisis. I want to thank him for taking that bold step, it would have been a different ball game,” Wike added.

    He also explained the political calculations behind the President’s intervention, saying the emergency declaration was a compromise to maintain peace.

    “As a politician, for the interest of the state, the President is my boss, he looked at it and said, yes you are working with me, the Governor may have infringed and committed impeachable offence, we want peace, and the only way we can get peace is by declaring state of emergency and then see how things can stabilize. That led to the meetings with my humble self, the governor, the assembly, the National Assembly, and key stakeholders, we all met and agreed we have to move forward, and to the glory of God as I speak to you peace returned,” he recounted.

    Wike, however, warned against those he described as “natural crisis builders” who thrive only in periods of conflict.

    “The only thing I can say while watching on TV today is that there are people who are natural crisis builders, who think they can only benefit when there is a crisis,” he said.

    He stressed that he deliberately chose peace over escalation, maintaining consistent communication with Governor Fubara.

    “If for us, we don’t want the state of emergency to be lifted, we would have done one or two things, but I said no, for the interest of the state, I was talking with the Governor from time to time and he has assured me we can’t go back now, and the President has stabilized the state. Anything that’s for peace I am for it,” Wike said.

    Finally, the former Rivers Governor emphasised his straightforward approach to politics, dismissing suggestions that his reconciliation with Fubara was merely tactical.

    “I can’t speak with a man I’ve not forgiven; I don’t play like that. I am not a politician who says one thing here and does another thing. If I tell you we are quarrelling, then we are quarrelling. If I tell you peace has come, then peace has truly come,” Wike declared.

  • Fubara: Rivers peace terms heavy, bitter, but necessary

    Fubara: Rivers peace terms heavy, bitter, but necessary

    • Begs supporters to accept new conditions for peace

    • Wike, gov, Amaewhule make public appearance after Abuja parley

    Suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara yesterday asked his supporters to accept the terms of his peace deal with Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike in good faith.

    There is no price too big to pay for peace, said Fubara apparently in reaction to criticism of the peace deal by some people who accused him of surrendering to alleged intimidation.

    Fubara spoke at a meeting with members of his Simplified Family in Port Harcourt 24 hours after the Abuja peace deal.

    He described the conditions as heavy and bitter but necessary.

    He gave no details of the terms which media reports had said include a one term for him, payment of the withheld salary and allowances of the 27 pro-Wike legislators in the state House of Assembly and withdrawal of all court cases filed by the two sides.

    The legislators are to discontinue plan to impeach him. Fubara gave a background to the peace deal, saying: “After the meeting we had before May 29th, we’ve had series of meetings and one of the meetings we had was the one we met with the President and President Tinubu clearly said ‘I want you and your oga (boss) to settle’.

    “Nobody can take away the role my oga played, that’s the truth. Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody here will say he doesn’t know the role the man played. Nobody can wish away the risk he took.

    “Yes, at a point we had our differences, and if today there’s need for us to settle, please anyone who genuinely believes in me should understand that it’s the right thing to do.

    “So, my dear fathers, brothers and sisters, no matter the level of peace that a mediator will arrange, the true peace is the one both of you are sitting down together to say yes this is what we want.

    “At this point, I’ve met him and we have spoken. You can’t take away him not being hurt. He’s a human being.

    “I also have my own share of pains too, and if he feels that for the pains he has gone through these are things he wants, inasmuch as it is not my life, I will give it to him and let us have that peace.

    “Even while all these things were going on, I still in my quiet time appreciated and recognised the role he played and every one of us here, we know it.”

    He pledged that he would not abandon his Simplified Family, and appealed to them to understand that whatever terms were agreed upon were important for total reconciliation.

    “Like I said, it’s heavy, its bitter, but we must accept the situation and move on with it,” he stressed.

    Continuing, he said: “I can’t abandon you people; that’s one thing I need to say here.

    “This is the time for me to prove to you that I care for you, and I make my commitment here that whichever way it goes, I will not abandon anybody.

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    “The sacrifice that we are going to make for us to achieve this total peace is going to be heavy, and I want everybody to prepare for it.

    “Without a total reconciliation, which by the grace of God both of us have gotten, there’s no way we can make progress in this state, there’s no way the President can come in to save the situation.

    “So, I want to appeal to everyone, I have accepted that we must accept this peace no matter how it looks. No matter how you feel, we must accept it.”

    Fubara insisted that it was not all about him but principally about the development and progress of the state. He cited the numerous projects that were abandoned in the midst of the crisis. 

    He promised that all his supporters would be integrated into the bigger family, adding that it was time for his followers to stand with him.

    He told them: “We have fought. I think in my own assessment and in the assessment of anyone here who is genuine in this struggle, you will know that we have done what we needed to do.

    “At this point, if you want to be truthful to yourself, the only solution is peace.

    “I did say that there’s no price that is too big for peace. I meant it and I’m still ready to follow it to the end.

    “Some of you might be frowning, but if we believe that we are one family and our interest is to support the President, then what is the issue? You all will definitely be integrated into the big family.

    “If you say you are with us and you believe in me, this is the time for us to see it. The time when there was nothing and you stood.

    “It is not even about me as a person, it’s about the overall interest of the state.

    “In the midst of this crisis between me and my oga, look at the projects we initiated, Many have been abandoned.

    “We know the progress we would have recorded and areas that would have been developed. So there’s need for this peace. That’s the truth.

    “In my place, there’s a fish they call ‘Atabala’. You call it Tilapia. The native tilapia doesn’t grow big. The mother tilapia tells the kids that if you want to grow up to my own size, hide your head inside the mud.

    “Every one of us should understand that at this time, we’ve done our best and what we need now is this peace so that we can grow.

    “I know it’s difficult and heavy but that’s the true situation.”

    Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule make public appearance after Abuja peace deal

    Earlier yesterday, Fubara, Wike and the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule, appeared in public together.

    The occasion was the funeral service for an uncle of the FCT minister in his hometown of  Rumueprikom, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

    Also present at the funeral service were Senator Allwell Onyesoh, Senator George Thompson Sekibo, Senator Olaka Nwogu, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche; former House of Representatives Member, Hon. Ken Chikere; South-South Vice Chairman of the ACP, Victor Giadom; and former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, among others.

    Fubara, in a post on his X account @SimFubaraKSC yesterday, said: “Today, I joined the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, His Excellency Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and other dignitaries at the funeral service of his beloved cousin, the late Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, in Rumueprikom.”

    Wike, speaking on the peace deal in Abuja on Friday, said: “We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us.

    “We are members of the same political family.”

    He said both sides agreed to bury the hatchet and commit to working together going forward.

    He acknowledged that while disagreements are a natural part of human relations, reconciliation is also part of the process, and that has now been accomplished.

    “Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have a time to settle your disagreement. That has been finally concluded today.

    “We have come to report to Mr. President that this is what we have agreed. So, for me, everything is over,” the FCT Minister said.

    He asked political actors in Rivers to align with the renewed spirit of unity and cooperation.

    He said: “I enjoin everybody who believes to work with us to also work together with everybody.

    “There’s no more acrimony. There’s nothing to say.”

    The governor said: “For me, it’s a day we have to thank Almighty God.

    “What we need for the progress of Rivers State is peace, and by the special grace of God, this night, with the help of Mr President and the agreement of the leaders of the state, our leader, peace has returned in Rivers State.

    “We’ll do everything within our power to make sure that we sustain it this time around.”

    He described the resolution as a divine intervention.

    He promised to do everything within his power to sustain the peace