The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Rivers State, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, has rejected his redeployment following the cabinet reshuffle by the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara amidst the ongoing crisis in Rivers.
Adangor in a letter addressed to the Secretary to Rivers State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo, also resigned his membership of the State Executive Council.
Fubara had through the office of the SSG redeployed Adangor to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office) and the commissioner for finance, Isaac Kamalu, to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment.
The governor said their transfers took immediate effect and asked them to hand over to the permanent secretaries of their various ministries.
But in his letter of rejection and resignation, Adangor said he was no longer willing to continue to serve in Fubara’s administration in any capacity whatsoever.
He said Fubara had in the past couple of weeks interfered with his job as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
He said Fubara directed him not to defend, oppose or appear in suits instituted against his office and the Rivers Government by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the government.
He said: “I want to state for the records that I am no longer willing to continue to serve in the administration of His Excellency, Sir. Siminalayi Fubara in any capacity whatsoever.
“It is important to mention that the Governor of Rivers State in the past couple of weeks willfully interfered with the performance of my duties as the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice by directing me not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits instituted against the Attorney-General and the state government by individuals admittedly hired and sponsored by the government of rivers state.
“Having served the government and good people of Rivers State dutifully, as a member of the Rivers State executive council for five years, it has become imperative for me to quit the administration in order to preserve my reputation. I wish the administration of His Excellency well.”
The Olatunji Disu-led Rivers state police command, in collaboration with operatives of the Intelligence Response Team and the Delta State Police Command, has killed a notorious executioner-general of the Iceland cult group for carrying out serial murders of community leaders in Mgbuoshimini, in Obio-Akpo, Rivers State.
The suspected killer, kidnapper, and armed robber identified as Peter “Daddy” Chukwu was rounded up at about 5 am on April 5 in Asaba, Delta State, and shot by the operatives when he made frantic efforts to escape.
The Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu, a.k.a Oboni, a native of Omoku in Rivers State, was a notorious gangster, whose criminal enterprise was multi-faceted, bordering on cultism, kidnapping, murder, and assassination, among other crimes.
The commissioner said Peter rose to prominence in 2017 when he was made the executioner-general of the Iceland cult group in the Mgbuoshimini community of Rivers State.
He said: “This role was conferred on him by the ill-famed cultist and kidnap kingpin, Johnson Igwedibia, popularly known as ‘Don Waney’, to whom he was a fierce loyalist.
“Johnson Igwedibia famously recognized as Don Waney, was a notorious cult figure who instilled fear in Rivers State. His demise came at the hands of a collaborative mission involving the Nigerian Army and the State Security Service in 2018, at the border between Rivers and Imo States”.
On the mode of operation of Peter, he said: “Peter Chukwu built a base of operation in Mgbuoshimini, a suburb in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, from where he recruited an army of young men who carried out his whims to the letter.
“With a massive following of cultists behind him, he launched a syndicate that served as assassins for hire, armed robbers, and gun runners.
“He always had a hit list that included persons who had offended or challenged him, those he considered a threat, and those he had been paid to assassinate. Such was the nature of his villainous mind that at the mentioning of his name, people trembled.”
On why Peter was declared wanted, he said: “As his acclaim grew, he became a menacing presence in the community and began wreaking havoc indiscriminately.
“On May 6, 2017, he murdered the secretary of the Rumueme Council of Chiefs, Chief Minikwu Chukwu, and one Jaja Optimist while they were gathering for a routine town meeting. Within the same month, he executed another community leader, Chief Mgbor.
“He continued his onslaught on those he had earmarked for destruction, and on July 30, 2017, Baridule Cletus Dunle was shot dead, while on October 4, 2017, Godspower Aligbo and Dickson Gogo-Jaja had their lives snuffed out by his men.
“On October 9, 2017, at about 3 am, he and his gang attacked the abattoir area of the Mgbuoshimini community and murdered 22 people in cold blood, burning some of their victims alive.
“This act caused the Police to declare him, and eight (8) others wanted. Consequently, he fled the community and went into hiding. He, however, resurfaced in 2023 and began another reign of terror. He set up another base in Mgbuoshimini as his previous base had been demolished after the crises that followed the massacre he perpetrated in 2017.
“On his return, he arrogated himself the position of chief adjudicator in the community and would frequently force people with disputes to appear before him. On one such occasion on January 2, 2023, he seized two residents of the community, Sunny Amadi and Victor Alabo, who he alleged had stolen phones. They were promptly brought before him, and subjected to torture through binding and severe beatings. He then proceeded to use a razor to chop off their ears”.
The commissioner said two days after the mutilation of the two men, on January 4, 2023, he invited Grace Asuquo to appear before him because he had received reports that she had stolen a phone.
He said: “She did not honour his invitation for fear of his irrationality, which offended him. He commanded his boys to arrest her and bring her before him. When she was brought before him, he tortured her for a long time, eventually murdering her. He dumped her lifeless body in front of her father’s compound.
“Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu was also complicit in assassinations for hire. His gang was contracted to assassinate one Victor Golor, and in two attempts on December 12, 2023, and January 6, 2024, they failed to exterminate the target.
“However, on the 6th of March 2024, they succeeded in detonating explosives at the target’s hotel after installing a digital Apple tracker in his Toyota Hilux truck. Such was his sophistication that he had a network of informants at his beck and call and used tracking devices to tail potential victims”.
Disu said Peter became an item of deep interest to him when, on the 13th of January, he and his murderous band shot and killed the Community Development Council (CDC) Chairman of Mgbuoshimini, Ndidi Livingstone, as he was stepping out of the auditorium of Peculiar Faith Ministries, Rumueme after a church service.
He said: “After the dastardly act, they sped off in a waiting black SUV which the police have now recovered. The notorious gangster killed the CDC chairman because he collaborated with other stakeholders in establishing a local vigilante group known as OSPAC, aimed at safeguarding the community.
“During a visit to the widow and family of the slain community leader, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, directed a nationwide manhunt for the killers.
“Thus, an extensive search for them began. The manhunt narrowed when investigations and intelligence revealed that Peter ‘Daddy’ Chukwu was the mastermind behind the killings.
“After learning of the location of his hideout, on March 16, 2024, at about 1 a.m., operatives of a special task force of the Rivers State Police Command, comprising of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and operatives of the state command, attempted to arrest him.
“The suspect narrowly escaped by bursting through the ceiling and roofing sheets of the hotel, where he was cornered. He later jumped into a nearby compound and ran off, evading arrest.
“In his scramble to escape, he left behind his personal effects, including a hit list containing names of his next victims and other vital documents and gadgets that gave the Police a clear picture of the extent of sophistication he operated with. This necessitated the urgency in arresting the notorious criminal”.
Disu said following his close shave with the authorities, Peter fled to Asaba in Delta State and remained in hiding before returning briefly to Port Harcourt, where he boasted about his invincibility and the power of his charms.
But the police boss said: “He returned to Delta, where he began plotting to kill the investigating police officers and to launch attacks on police facilities to free his arrested associates.
“Undeterred by the notorious gangster’s initial escape, on April 5, 2024, around 4 am, a coordinated team launched an assault on his hideout. The team, comprising the Rivers State Command Tactical Team and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), advanced to Delta to locate the criminal’s hideout.
“With support from the Delta State Commissioner of Police, operatives from the command joined the conclusive operation, resulting in the neutralisation of the suspect following a fierce operation.
“He was tracked down and apprehended in Ibusa, Delta State, and found in a herbalist’s home where he sought spiritual fortification. Upon realising the presence of security forces surrounding the premises, Peter Daddy Chukwu fiercely resisted and attempted to flee. He put up a fierce resistance, and in an attempt to escape, he was fatally wounded and succumbed to the injury before arriving at the hospital. Efforts are currently in top gear to arrest all his associates and sponsors.”
Two loyalists killed •Police: He is with another security agency
Gunmen dressed in Army uniform yesterday stormed the Usokun country home of ex-militant leader, High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, aka, Egberipapa, in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
They took Egberipapa away.
The police, however, confirmed that Egberipapa, governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in the 2023 general election, was not abducted but arrested by another security agency.
Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko said: in a commando style and that military vans and army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) were used to cordone off the home of the ex-militant lea”It is not kidnapping. He is with some security personnel. That is all I can say for now.”
Sources close to the ex-militant leader said the operation was conducted der.
One of his loyalists, identified as Harry, was certain that the military took his boss away to the barracks.
He said: “Military men, who drove in Army vans surrounded his house about 3am yesterday and took him away. They killed two people and evacuated the bodies. They took him to the barracks.”
Though the motive for the arrest was not disclosed, some persons believe it could be in connection with the Okuama killings of soldiers in Delta State as the military widened its search for suspects and missing arms.
Jackrich was popularly known as Egberipapa in the creeks before he embraced the amnesty offered to repentant Niger Delta militants by the Federal Government.
His media aide, Soibibo Sokari, confirmed the arrest, and said two of his loyalists were killed by the armed men.
Sokari said: “Yes it is true he was arrested this morning (yesterday). Two persons were killed and their bodies taken away. We are still following up to get more details.
“We don’t know exactly who is behind it. But as the details unfold we will let the public know.”
The police have nabbed Yahaya Bello, Aliyu Usman, Sule Abubakar, and Abdullahi Adamu, for allegedly kidnapping four employees, who were on inspection of some property in Okocha community, Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State.
The police also arrested one Godfrey Odum for reportedly kidnapping a student of Elechi Amadi Polytechnic identified as Precious Chukwu.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement said the fear underscored the unwavering commitment of police to combat the menace of kidnapping in the State.
The statement said the investigation that led to the arrest of the kidnappers was initiated following a report made by the management of Lujo Heights Homes on January 19, 2024.
The police said: “The report detailed the disappearance of four staff members during a routine property inspection in Okocha Community, Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area. Despite repeated attempts to establish contact, there was no response from the missing individuals.
“Through meticulous intelligence-gathering efforts, the police apprehended four suspects believed to be connected to the incident. During questioning, these suspects confessed to their involvement in the abduction of the victims, as well as the subsequent destruction of the Toyota Sequoia SUV they were traveling in.
“The victims, who endured a harrowing ordeal in the forests of Etche, recounted being subjected to inhumane treatment and constant threats of death unless a ransom of NGN 300,000,000 was paid for their release.
“Investigations revealed that these individuals are part of a criminal network predominantly comprised of Fulani individuals operating under the guise of cattle rearers, they have been engaged in a series of kidnappings across Rivers, Delta, and Edo states.
“In Port Harcourt, they had taken up residence in Valley Decision Estate, where they deceitfully convinced the community to grant them access to the land, purportedly for protection against land grabbers”.
Profiling the suspects, the police said Aliyu Usman, aged 33 from Kebbi State, emerged as a central figure in the criminal operations adding that he had been working as a security guard in Valley Decision Estate, Rumukwurushi, facilitating the infiltration of criminals.
The statement said: “Sule Abubakar, aged 25 was brought into the gang by Aliyu with the aim of strengthening their criminal activities in Port Harcourt. During interrogation, Sule confessed to his participation in his first kidnapping assignment in Edo State, alongside his elder brother who is currently at large.
“Abdullahi Adamu, aged 20 from Taraba State, had recently arrived in Port Harcourt and was undergoing training in criminal operations under the guidance of Aliyu.
“Furthermore, Mallam Yahaya, who had been supplying food to the captors, was also apprehended. He admitted to receiving a sum of NGN 470,000 as his share of the ransom”.
The statement said during the operations, the police recovered two locally-made pistols, two smartphones, and a black Toyota Sequoia belonging to the gang.
It said Investigations were underway to apprehend other members of the criminal network who are still at large.
On the incident at the polytechnic, the statement said: “The Anti-Cultism Unit successfully arrested a notorious cultist and kidnapper known as Godfrey Odum. Godfrey was implicated in the abduction of Precious Chukwu, a student of Elechi Amadi Polytechnic.
“The victim was eventually released after being robbed of her belongings. Godfrey has confessed to the crime and has provided crucial information regarding the identities of other gang members involved.
“The Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, expressed his commendation for the outstanding efforts of the officers of Rivers State Police Command in combatting crime and ensuring the safety of residents.
“He advised residents to be careful when hiring security personnel and reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to rid the state of criminal elements. The Commissioner urged all residents to remain law-abiding citizens and to cooperate with the police in their efforts to maintain peace and security within the state.
“The Rivers State Police Command continues to work tirelessly to ensure the safety and protection of all residents. The public is urged to provide any relevant information that may assist in ongoing investigations”.
The Rivers State Government has inaugurated a Task Force on Food Safety to safeguard the public from potential health risks associated with consuming contaminated food
Speaking during the inauguration, which took place at the Ministry of Agriculture, Commissioner for Agriculture, Victor Kii, said the essence of the task force was to develop and implement strategies that would ensure the highest standard of food safety across the state through collaboration with stakeholders, farmers, producers, distributors, retailers, and consumers.
The Commissioner in a statement on Tuesday evening by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, inaugurated the task force on behalf of the Executive Governor of the state, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Kii said the Ministry of Agriculture, working together with committee members of the task force, could identify potential risks, address any existing gaps in the system, and develop effective measures to prevent food borne illnesses.
He outlined the terms of reference for the task force as enhancing public awareness and education on food safety best practices, collecting all relevant data on livestock trade, animal health, slaughtering conditions, storage and transport in order to develop a database of all practitioners in the sector.
The task force was also mandated to assign veterinarians to all abattoirs and slaughter houses to conduct ante and post-mortem inspections.
The task force was to ensure that processed meat (hides and skin, offal’s, bones and others did not enter the sales-chain from any extraneous source while also monitoring the markets and frozen food companies of all livestocks and all agro-produce.
Kii also said the ministry would strengthen its inspection and regulatory mechanisms to ensure compliance with food safety standards at every stage of the food supply chain.
He said that membership of the task force was drawn from the Ministries of Agriculture, Health, Environment and Justice as well as security agencies for the success of the task force.
He thanked Fubara for his visionary leadership and for being proactive in establishing the Rivers State Task Force on Food Safety.
Kii also said the fact that there was food shortage in the country was not the reason for unwholesome practices in ignoring food safety measures.
“There is no better time to have inaugurated this task force than now,” Kii said.
Those inaugurated were Commissioner for Agriculture as chairman; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture as Secretary; while Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, are to serve as members.
Other members are Head, Livestock/Veterinary Services Department, Ministry of Agriculture; Head, Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture; Head, Department, Ministry of Agriculture; Head, Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture; Representative of The Nigeria Police Force; Representative of Department of State Security Service (DSS); Representative of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice or Representative.
Others are representatives of National Butchers Association; Poultry Association of Nigeria; Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association; Fish Farmers Association; Cattle Breeders Association; and Chairman or Representative of Markets Association in the State.
Some days ago, a group of politicians, who were members of the Rivers State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council (PDPPCC) in the 2023 general elections, felt it was time to insult our intelligence. Aside from being members of the PDP-PCC, they were also united by their hatred for Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, a man whose significant role in their political careers is well-documented. These former Wike allies fell out with him and chose to work against everything he wanted, including candidates Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Siminalayi Fubara, who later won to become president and governor respectively.
Now, these men, who gave their all to ensure that neither Tinubu nor Fubara won their elections, suddenly declared their support for these men they said were not good for Nigeria and Rivers State. They capped it all by dressing Wike in a garb not his. They shamelessly claimed Wike has disturbed the state’s peace and ran a kleptocratic government as governor of Rivers State. They advised Mr. President to keep a close watch on the FCT Administration. Their aim is to paint him bad and get the president to fire him. Thank God, Mr President can decipher their motive and keep them at arm’s length.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an extremely clever leader, a trait he shares with his Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The former Director-General of PDP Campaign Council, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, who spoke for ex-PDP chairman Uche Secondus and co, said since the Supreme Court has pronounced Tinubu the duly elected president, they decided to stand by the verdict. Their decision, coming months after the apex court’s ruling, gives them away as hypocrites trying to cause confusion and reap where they didn’t sow.
Tinubu would be naive to be swayed by this gibberish. Isn’t it clear? They didn’t support Tinubu or Fubara in the last election, yet now they show sudden affection for them and hate Wike who not only did everything possible to ensure Tinubu’s victory, but also did everything possible to guarantee Atiku Abubakar’s failure. Those who rejected them in 2023 are now rallying behind them to discredit Wike and aiming to challenge him in 2027.
If Wike emerged victorious in 2023 without Tinubu’s support; one can only imagine the outcome in 2027 when the duo will undoubtedly work hand in glove. Wike commands the loyalty of the people and no amount of propaganda can alter that fact. Interestingly, despite not aligning with Tinubu’s APC, these men are eager for Tinubu’s support to undermine him. More like expecting President Tinubu to provide the weapon and prepare the stage for his political crucifixion. Only a novice in politics like Fubara would fall for such a ploy. Even a three-year-old wouldn’t be fooled, let alone a sagacious seasoned politician and business magnate of Tinubu’s pedigree. We must x-ray these political manoeuvres with diplomatic finesse, and as Churchill aptly put it: “Diplomacy is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip.”
If Sekibo, Secondus, and others don’t view Tinubu as a fool, why do they expect him to be fooled by their immature tactics? This must be is a gratuitous insult taken too far.
This ensuing episode in the political melodrama of Rivers State reminds me of the little snake and little frog story. The story tells us that “in order to take revenge on our fellow beings, we should never make friends with our natural enemies.” So, when an enemy feigns friendship and asks you to drop your weapons while holding firmly to his and desiring to kill you as soon as you drop your weapon, it is foolish to oblige them.
Meanwhile, they haven’t joined Tinubu in APC and would do everything to support Fubara and whoever emerges as PDP presidential candidate in 2027 to defeat President Tinubu and his APC, yet they want Tinubu’s support to pull that string. Again, what an insult! Perhaps, only a political neophyte like Governor Sim Fubara will fall for this puerile trick.
These men have forgotten that Mr President’s major sustaining power in politics and business is his love for surrounding himself with talents. He knows that Wike is a talent and an asset. He knows that Wike is clever. He knows he needs a development-oriented man like Wike to be part of his cabinet and especially to run the all-important FCT-Abuja that is a national melting pot and seat of power.
They can say and believe whatever they may, but the real Rivers people know who their leader is. They know the man whose administration did projects their children’s children will benefit from. They know the man who stood and is still standing with them. That man is Wike. The people of Rivers State also know who the enemies feigning friendship are.
Going by Mr President’s pedigree, he has never been an ungrateful man. He has always stood by the people who identify with him at strategic moments. Till date, even fellow comrades who fall out with him are given room to retrace their steps, not to talk of allies like Wike who are ready to stand by his mandate with all they have got.
My advice to Secondus, who couldn’t have become PDP chairman without Wike, Sekibo, who benefitted a lot from the ex-governor, Tele Ikuru and others whose biographies will be incomplete without a mention of the Ikwerre-born minister, is that they need to take the chill pill. Wike calls the shot and will continue to until God says it is another’s turn. He has put in the work and their attempts to destroy him will further alienate them. And to Fubara, these men are featherweight and sore losers. They can’t help you. They are toothless bulldogs and can only bark. They lack the bite required to win this political battle.
He who has the people, has the structure. Unfortunately, they don’t have the people and as such the structure is off their hands. As Sun Tzu opined, “victorious warriors win first and then go to war, but defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
Every reread of their speech at the press conference has made me laugh so much that tears almost cascade down my cheeks, not because of anything other than its comic value. They’re clowns (or political Uncle JBs, to use a local parlance) and time will show them to their rightful place – the trash can.
When political combatants fight in Rivers State, they do not take prisoners. They are unyielding, remorseless and immoderate. Governor Siminalayi Fubara was barely six months in office when his simmering disagreement with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, blew into open conflict. Twice the fight between the two politicians had recrudesced, and twice it seemed to have been resolved or at least stalemated. Interventions by Rivers State elders and the presidency, it was believed, would help the two gentlemen maintain peace. But given the events of the past one week, it is now clear that the feuding politicians will fight to the finish. Mr Wike is full of regrets for backing his untested protégé, and Mr Fubara is full of defiance. The former governor, who is now Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, openly deplored ingratitude, saying he hated that vice with a passion, while the governor said he unreservedly loathed dictatorship. In short, Mr Fubara is an ingrate, and Mr Wike a dictator; the former a self-styled protector of political ethics, and the latter a self-styled liberator.
For the next one year or more, Rivers politics will be pockmarked by the conflict between the governor and his predecessor. The fight will be bitter, divisive and certain to put the state in dreadful unease. Last week’s verbal missiles between the two men showed why. First to draw blood was the FCT minister. Mocking the governor’s contradictions, he said: “You (Fubara) said State Assembly people should not be independent, but you want to be independent. Continue to be independent. Continue to save the democracy of Nigeria. If they like, let them do as they’re doing; if they get to any court they have in the state, let them continue. Let them continue. We’ll never be intimidated by that. So let nobody be afraid. Every day, they say they’re doing thanksgiving. They were lucky they didn’t show this early. When we’ve finished winning for them, from polling units to tribunal, from tribunal to court of appeal, they now came saying we want to remove them at Supreme Court. Can you imagine?”
It didn’t take long for the governor to respond. Having benefited in recent weeks from defections from Mr Wike’s camp, such as House of Representatives member Boniface Emerengwa, Mr Fubara seized the opportunity of the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, Ateke Tom, as a first-class tradition ruler last week, the governor provocatively declared: “We are at a crossroads in our state where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a lifetime. So, for now, be one of those people who will be in the cause to liberate and free our dear state…We will do those things that are right to develop our state. We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us…”
The battle lines are now firmly and finally drawn and swords and the Rubicon crossed. There will henceforth be no let-up. Both will fight like Kilkenny cats, and neither will give any quarter to the enemy. It is no longer a political disagreement; it is war. Could this misunderstanding have been better managed? Absolutely yes. Once the presidency intervened, it became incumbent on Mr Wike to moderate his expectations, especially having won the image battle. Mr Fubara had made the capital mistake of enabling the demolition of the state’s legislative building, a feat former Edo State governor Adams Oshiomhole and current Edo governor Godwin Obaseki had managed to achieve in a modified form in Benin years ago. That singular act, rather than the substance of his quarrel with Mr Wike, lost him a huge support. He was, therefore, eager to recompense the error, including abnegating his political belief and seizing every opportunity to laud President Bola Tinubu. Instead, still breathing revenge and all sorts of imprecates, Mr Wike pressed the advantage beyond acceptable bounds, and ended up either uniting key political players behind the bumbling Mr Fubara or driving some of his (Wike’s) supporters to the fence. From all indications, the governor will welcome more defectors like Hon. Emerengwa, perhaps in droves, with some of them festooning their moves with scathing remarks against the former governor.
As exemplified by former Rivers State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council in the 2023 general elections late last week, some of the defectors are beginning to look beyond the immediate to the next election cycle in 2027. Said the former campaign council, which aligned with ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar faction of the PDP in the last polls: “We will return our governor in 2027. Mr Fubara will control the structure of our party 100 percent. The governor is the leader of the party in the state.” The council is probably reaping from where it had not sown, but this sentiment will grow in the weeks ahead, and Mr Wike will be left flummoxed. After the presidential intervention, Mr Wike should have bided his time, moved his pawns on the political chessboard, and waited in ambush for 2027. Instead, he continued to vituperate openly, unfortunately framed himself as a dictator convinced that his moral high ground would win him hearts, expiate his authoritarian approach to politics, and reclaim the fickle Rivers electorate to his side. It won’t happen. When the war with Fubara started, Mr Wike’s chances of emerging victorious were a decent 50 percent. Now, after his intransigence, not to say the inevitable deployment of state resources, Mr Fubara’s chances are brighter than 50 percent.
The Rivers State Police Command has paraded a witch-doctor and 25 other suspects over alleged car snatching. The native doctor’s shrine was also destroyed.
Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu, who paraded the suspects yesterday, identified two of them – Chidube, Anthony and Kelechi as prime suspects in the offence.
According to the Disu, while Anthony trains the other suspects, Kelechi is a mechanic with expertise in tracing and demobilising tracking devices in stolen cars.
Disu added that majority of cars stolen were taken to Kano and Anambra states, apparently Nnewi, where they are sold as scrap.
According to him, 79 stolen vehicles have been linked to the gang. He also added that majority of the gang members are jailbirds who were recruited from the correctional centre.
On the gang’s operational method, Disu said they use master key to access the steering wheel, and then convert the cars into commercial vehicles so they can dive it out of town easily.
The police commissioner also said buyers of the stolen vehicles have been arrested.
He added: “Their witch doctor who tells them when it is safe to go for operation has been arrested.
“We also have a team of robbers who follow their victims to the bank and fire when there is resistance. Their illegal fire arms have also been recovered. Residents should put safety devices in their vehicle and be watchful,” Disu advised.
The commissioner added that 17 of the 79 cars traceable to the gang have been recovered and some of them have been returned to the owners.
Exhibits recovered from them include English and locally-made pistols, 17 assorted cars, among others.
Air strikes from Nigerian Air Force‘s component of Operation Delta Safe have destroyed Illegal Refining Sites (IRS) and barges in oil communities in Rivers state.
The communities were identified as Bille, Dariama, Elem Bekinkiri, Temakiri, Opumakiri and Degema.
A statement issued on Wednesday, March 27, by the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Edward Gabkwet, said the air strikes were conducted on March 25 and 26.
The statement read: “At Bille, a barge filled with illegal refined products was observed meandering through the creeks and subsequently struck. At Dariama and Tumakiri, active illegal refining sites with reservoirs and cooking pots were identified to be active and subsequently engaged and destroyed. Illegal oil refining sites at Elem Bekinkiri and Opumakiri were, however, observed to consist of abandoned IRS.
“At Degema, several active illegal refining sites with reservoirs filled with illegally refined products were observed and engaged accordingly, setting them ablaze.
“It is pertinent to note that some of the illegal refining sites at Bille and Dariama have been destroyed in the past but have been reactivated. Accordingly, the NAF and other security agencies will continue to intensify efforts at discovering and disrupting the activities of the oil thieves operating in the region and beyond,” said Gabkwet.”
When Nyesom Wike became the governor of Rivers State, it didn’t take long before it was clear to all that his focus was to construct one monumental project after the other. It thus didn’t come as a surprise when Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who was the vice president, christened him Mr Project while on a state visit. That moniker was later modified to Mr. Quality Projects, leading to his eventual crowning as the best governor in infrastructure delivery by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while Osinbajo and Buhari are of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but the overwhelming reality of the time displaced politicking and the vice president didn’t see an elephant and claimed to have seen something infinitesimal as politicians are wont to do.
For years to come, the bridges he built, the housing projects he did, the hospitals he built, the classrooms he constructed and many others will gladden the hearts of the people of Rivers State. The outstanding emoluments he ensured pensioners got and many other hitherto unattained strides are ways he has secured a place for himself in the heart of the people and left the state far better than he met it.
However, I am a bit worried at the moment, not for Wike but for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the man who found favour enough in the immediate past governor and made him ignore powerful forces in the state. Currently, Rivers State is without effective governance, all due to the actions and in-actions of the governor, who has shown lack of direction. This stems from the governor’s decision to engage in unnecessary conflicts with his predecessor, now the Minister of the FCT. It is a needless situation because the governor doesn’t have what it takes to win the fight. All he gets is a bloodied nose and the blood is already splashing on the people of Rivers who voted for him because Wike said they should. If he had asked them for their votes on his own, they would have gladly ignored him and he would have failed brilliantly. In fact, he couldn’t have even got the PDP ticket without Wike bulldozing all opposition to his emergence. Wike’s support for Fubara led to a plethora of adversaries and a fractured party.
The absence of State Executive Council meetings since December 2023 underscores the discord between the governor, legislature, and judiciary. Additionally, his cabinet includes commissioners who neither align with his vision nor trust his leadership.
Rather than focusing on substantive governance, the governor’s primary agenda seems to revolve around hosting thanksgiving services across the state following his Supreme Court victory. This short-sightedness has left the state adrift, akin to a ship without a compass, heading towards a disastrous outcome. He also sees in any public engagement, including funeral services in churches, the opportunity to play to the gallery. A good example was his display at the service for the Wigwes.
Wike is not flawless himself, but he is aligned with public sentiment regarding the governor’s actions, especially regarding ingratitude. The governor’s Guinness World Record in pretence, feigning loyalty until securing victory and then turning against his benefactors, further solidifies this sentiment.
I have always been against men who on their own lack the resources to get power but choose to fight their benefactors when power is given to them. If they know that they are against the agenda of those installing them, they should have rejected the support. Accepting the support and later turning themselves into ‘public defender’ is reprehensible and treacherous.
People who fought Wike because of his insistence on Fubara being his successor are the ones urging him to fight his benefactor. Without Wike’s unequalled support, Fubara would not have been anywhere close to the Government House. He lacked and still lacks the clout to pull through such feat.
At the height of the problem caused by his pretence, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened. Fubara behaved as though he was all out for peace. He reappointed commissioners who resigned in solidarity with the FCT minister. That looked like he was ready for action, but months after, all we can point at is lack of direction. It is difficult to get any tangible thing to point at as the policy focus of the administration. Instead the administration has been satisfied with just paying staff salaries and doing some other basic stuff. Yet, Rivers needs and deserves more.
The state needs more roads. There are villages and towns that still need to be opened up. Without access, these communities will remain in the backwater. More hospitals are needed for the people to have unfettered access to quality healthcare. Government is a continuum and Fubara should give the people more general hospitals. The people also need more houses to bridge the housing deficit. Wike did his bit but the gap that needs to be filled can’t be served by the current lack of direction.
The state is yet to meet the global standard for schools and student-to-teacher ratio. The current complacency won’t improve on what Wike was able to do.
The state can generate more revenues internally. This is another area the governor needs to focus on instead of allowing men who didn’t want him to be governor to keep distracting him.
The State Executive Council has a vital role to play in helping the governor develop the state for the benefit of the people of Rivers State, but a situation where no meeting of this important body is being held is another pointer to the fact that the governor isn’t sure of where he wants to take the state. By running the affairs of the state without the executive council, the legislature and even the judiciary, Rivers State has unarguably become a dictatorship within a democracy. This is not only dangerous, but a recipe for crisis and general under-development. The council has brilliant men and women, many of them with sparkling achievements prior to joining the government. Such men and women shouldn’t be wasted because the administration’s head is unable to decide which way to go.
Governor Fubara needs to wake up and truly shun the distraction from those who didn’t want him to be governor, but have now turned themselves to his biggest fans. With time, it will be clear to him that they are paper tigers. The rapprochement between the APC and PDP in the state is another proof that the governor needs to tread carefully and stop being misled by folks who can’t even deliver votes from their homes.
