Tag: Rivers

The Police in Rivers State have clarified there was no deliberate plan to attack Governor Siminalayi Fubara when he inspected the bombing of the House of Assembly on Monday.

The police, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Grace Iringe-Koko, on Wednesday, said they were not even aware that Fubara was visiting the complex but were more concerned with efforts to stop hoodlums from further attacking the facility.

Explaining what transpired on the day the Governor was attacked, the police said: “Following the receipt of credible intelligence on the intention of some armed group of persons to cause mayhem in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital, particularly at the State House of Assembly on Monday 30th October, and recalling the previous case of arson on the State House of Assembly a day prior which is currently being investigated, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations immediately deployed armed police operatives which he personally supervised in order to intercept the ‘hoodlums’ and ensure the protection of lives and properties within the State House of Assembly facility and its environ.

“At the entrance of the complex, it was observed that youths numbering over a hundred had begun a protest to gain access to the Complex and conduct 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 cannon to disperse the riotous and uncontrollable protesters. 

“However, some minutes later, another aggressive group of persons approached the entrance of the complex and advanced towards the premises. The Police therefore engaged them in like manner but observed that the Executive Governor of the State His Excellency, Siminalayi Fubara, 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 the visit of the Governor to the scene of the crime which ordinarily is the usual protocol and complimentary that we accompany his guard for proper safety considering the intelligence of security threat at hand then. 

Read Also: Police confirm arrest of 122 youths for attacking Rivers speaker’s residence

“In consideration of this, the DC Ops quickly took deliberate security steps to ensure his protection and safety, while the Governor and his entourage went on to assess the level of damage caused by the fire incident. 

“Thus, it’s 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 which it’s our most essential role to protect as being peddled in the news. Due to the present situation, and the misrepresentation in some sections of the media, it is pertinent to make this clarification.

“Similarly, the Rivers State Police Command has emplaced adequate security measures to ensure that the situation de-escalates and total calm is restored in the affected areas.”

Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), came under fire on Wednesday, November 1, from Dele Momodu, the director of strategic communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, for behaving as if he controlled Rivers state.

Momodu said that Rivers State is neither his property nor inheritance.

He said this in a post on his X handle (formerly Twitter).

He said that Wike had many flaws, among which are a lack of anger management, and his forgetfulness that God has been kind to him.

The tweets partly read: “Rivers is neither your property nor perpetual inheritance. There were governors long before you cut your teeth and there must be others after you.

“On Wike’s only flaw is “one tragic and fatal flaw, and yours is lack of anger management. There are other flaws, like forgetting that God has been extremely kind to you and that you will never be God, and so you should beg God to grant you the spirit of humility and the wisdom of Solomon.”

He recalled Wike’s ascent to prominence as the state’s local government chairman and Chief of Staff, roles that preceded his appointment as a minister in the Federal Capital Territory, claiming that Wike had been granted “divine favour.”

Momodu said: “From a local government chairman in Rivers state to Chief of Staff, to minister of state education, to governor for eight years and now back to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory…I do not know anyone with your kind of divine favour.

Read Also: BREAKING: PDP Govs, Wike meet in Abuja over Rivers crisis

“This should satisfy you but your insatiable hunger and thirst for power is driving you into believing that you must have your way all the time. It would have been nice if you were in private business and running your personal enterprise.

The tweets read: “My dear brother, this now is the crux of the matter. You can’t eat your cake and still have it. You installed a new governor in the PDP. You’re a minister in APC. And you still want to maintain absolute power in PDP.”

Momodu urged Wike to allow the state governor Sim Fubara, “to grow and be a man of his own.”

He concluded: “Please, have a quiet rethink and adjust your overbearing style a bit. Sadly, you’ve allowed Fubara to demystify you.”

The Rivers State Police Command on Tuesday, October 31, officially acknowledged the arrest of 122 individuals, including youth leader Chijioke Ihunwo, who were involved in an attack on the residence of the speaker of the House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule.

According to a statement from the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP. Grace Iringe-Koko, the incident, led by Ihunwo, occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. and took place at the speaker’s residence situated on Forces Avenue, Old GRA, in Port Harcourt.

The statement said: “On Tuesday, 31/10/2023 at about 1130hrs, have arrested some group of youths led by Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo, who, with intent to commit a felony, went to the official residence of Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, located at Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, where they forcefully gained entrance into the Speaker’s Residence and maliciously damaged the gate of the house.

Read Also: Tinubu sets up committee to consider gaps in police legal framework

“While they were carrying out their nefarious activities at the scene, a distress call was received by the control room of the command, tactical teams were immediately deployed to the scene, where one hundred and twenty-two (122) suspects, including the said Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo, were arrested and taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Port Harcourt, for a discrete investigation.

“Meanwhile, the command has emplaced adequate security at the State House of Assembly Complex, including the speaker’s House and other strategic locations/infrastructure in the state to forestall any ugly incident.”

A former presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tein Jack-Rich, has called for calm on the wake of Monday’s attack on the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Jack-Rich also called on the political gladiators in the state to sheath their swords and ensure that the crisis did not escalate to a stage that it could not be managed.

The House was set ablaze by suspected political thugs on Monday, following a threat by the lawmakers to commence impeachment proceedings against the Leader of the House, Edison Ehie, and Gov. Siminalayi Fubara.

READ ALSO: Rivers not your inheritance, Dele Momodu slams Wike

”It is important to understand that keeping the temple of our democracy is a sacred oath we all took as political actors, irrespective of class.

”Therefore, any tendency to attack the legislature or hijack is not for anyone’s security, rather a display of political weakness.”

According to him, when the legislature comes under attack anywhere in the world, democracy is threatened.

”We cannot afford to sacrifice the peace of the democratic journey on the altar of fear of dictatorship or authoritarianism.

”My appeal is peace, and for Rivers State to be allowed to key into President Bola Tinubu’s administration at the federal level in order to take advantage of its economic master plan,” he said.

According to him, this will enable the state to fix its economic policies to attract private capital development, in order to provide jobs for the youths who are currently struggling with massive unemployment.

”We cannot afford the crisis brewing to snowball into a more chaotic situation, which is capable of exacerbating huge economic hardship in Rivers State,” Jack-Rich noted.

The Rivers-born philanthropist therefore, called for calm.

”Let all those involved sheath their swords, in the interest of peace and development of our dear Rivers State,” he said.

According to Jack-Rich, the onus was now on all patriotic sons and daughters of the state to put on the garb of civility and deploy dialogue in order to resolve any differences.

A popular ex-militant leader and Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Tom, has warned against inputting ethnic colouration in the dispute between the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

King Tom appealed to all stakeholders to apply caution in their reactions insisting that the face-off was between a father and his political godson.

He called Rivers elders and royal fathers to as a matter of urgency unite and mediate between the warring factions to prevent further escalation of the issue.

The monarch in a statement issued on Wednesday insisted that no one should twist the issues and try to make political gains out of the development.

He said: “I strongly urge for peace and reconciliation in light of the strained relationship between these two leaders. It is essential that we do not give an ethnic dimension to this issue. This dispute should not be exploited for political gain.”

The king recalled that Wike, who is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and hails from the Ikwerre ethnic nationality, was instrumental in making Fubara from the riverine area of the state a governor.

He condemned the ongoing plot to destabilise the state by reading ethnic motives into the crisis, adding that the impasse would not benefit anybody.

While faulting the move to impeach Fubara after less than six months in office, King Ateke Tom said such development was not in the interest of the state.

 The king said:  “I have observed with deep concern the ongoing situation in Rivers State. Our beloved Rivers State is currently facing a challenging situation between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nysemo Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“The current crisis must be resolved swiftly for the benefit of our state and its people. We should continue the path of development and peace established by the previous administration, which the current government is also following.

“I condemn the attempted impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara within only six months of his administration. This is not in the best interest of our state.

“I call on law enforcement agencies to remain loyal to the people and not be swayed by political actors. The use of water cannons and teargas on the Rivers State Governor is unacceptable.

“I hope for a return to normalcy in our government and legislative processes, which will benefit our citizens and business community.

“I appeal to all the people of Rivers State, including political actors, Royal fathers, and the youth, to come together and prioritise peace, unity, and dialogue. Our state’s future depends on our collective efforts.”

However, the South-South Leaders Forum (SSLF) called on the Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to exercise the full constitutional powers of an executive governor and take charge of his administration.

The national coordinator of the forum and former Publicity Secretary, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), His Highness, Anabs Sara-Igbe spoke amid the ongoing moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach the governor.

Describing the move as mutiny, Sara-Igbe said it was high time Fubara took control of the House of Assembly by sacking the Speaker and other lawmakers against his administration.

He said: “I think Mr. Governor should take steps. He has constitutional powers, he should take over the government. The governor should immediately summon the Security Council meeting to stop that mutiny, to discuss the security situation in the state, who and how was the the Assembly complex burnt and why was it burnt.

“For them to be looking at the governor and splashing him hot water, is a disgrace to Rivers people. And for you to point a gun at the governor, you have pointed a gun at Rivers people.

“He must take over the House of Assembly. The speaker and all the Assembly should be sacked and work with the few he can work with. Those who are not loyal should not come inside the House, and all those who are not loyal should be removed from the government House for safety.

Read Also: King Ateke, Boyloaf, others meet in Rivers, unite to combat oil theft in N/Delta

“What happened goes to show that somebody somewhere wants to show power, it goes to show somebody wants to continue to run the state. A situation where somebody is a governor and you don’t have any power to appoint any member of your cabinet and someone will be telling the governor what he will collect from the revenue is a mutiny.

The elder statesmen insisted that Rivers belongs to everybody adding that the governor must be given the necessary freedom to discharge his duties.

He said: “Rivers people voted for Sim Fubara. I, as an elder statesman, condemned the crisis but I am not surprised because the law of karma will naturally take its place. I have severally advised former governors not to do wrong to avoid the law of karma and it will come when you do not expect it.”

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has released a statement addressing the crisis between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and the state’s House of Assembly.

The Nation reported that Fubara was teargassed and hosed on his way to the House of Assembly on Monday, October 30.

The governor proceeded to dismiss the Assembly’s impeachment notice, saying there was no basis for it and he also condemned the actions of the police who he claimed shot directly at him.

The Peoples Democratic Party released a statement on Tuesday, October 31, on its X (formerly Twitter) page in an attempt to salvage the situation.

The statement reads: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calls on all actors in the disagreement in Rivers State to sheathe their swords and allow for peaceful and amicable resolution of all the issues.

Read Also: What you probably didn’t know about Rivers Gov Fubara

“The NWC urges all PDP members and supporters to be calm and assures that it has commenced processes, using the Party’s internal conflict resolution mechanisms to ensure that all matters and areas of disagreement are addressed.

“The NWC therefore charges all leaders, critical stakeholders and members of our great Party in Rivers State to close ranks, unite and focus on the onerous task of governance and delivery of dividends of democracy to the people. “

The Rivers State Police Command has assured the civilians in the state that they would be launching an investigation into the brouhaha that happened earlier on Monday, October 30, at the Rivers House of Assembly.

This was said in a post on the Police Force’ X (formerly Twitter) page.

It said: “We’re aware of the security situation at the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex. The Rivers State Police Command is actively addressing the matter.

“We’ve launched a comprehensive investigation to uncover the circumstances and will take immediate action against those responsible. Stay tuned for further updates. Your safety remains our priority. #RiversSecurity.”

Read Also: Rivers Crisis: Compromised police officers tried to kill me, says Fubara

Governor Fubara was stopped by Police officers while on his way to assess the extent of damage done by the explosion that rocked the State House of Assembly complex.

The governor also claimed that he was directly shot at.

Some viral videos on social media also show Fubara was tear-gassed and sprayed with water by Policemen.

Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has declared the ‘rubbish’ impeachment process initiated against him by 24 out of the 32 lawmakers will not stand. 

Though the Assembly complex was razed on Sunday evening, the lawmakers  were said to have met in one of the adjoining rooms to begin the process of removing Fubara, who was sworn-in as a Governor on May 29. 

It was learnt that before commencing the process, the lawmakers suspended the Leader of the House, Ehi Edinson and four other lawmakers over the bombing of the House.

It was gathered that 24 out of the 32 members of the House gathered to remove Edison witg four other lawmakers said to be supporting the Governor.

Shortly after the lawmakers rose and departed from the House, Fubara was seen trying to gain entrance into the bombed section of the Assembly complex.

The Governor was shielded by some Ijaw youths and about three policemen as he walked into the chaotic Moscow Road leading to the complex.

There was commotion as teargas canisters were thrown at the Governor and gunshots fired into the air by security operatives as Fubara walked into the Assembly complex.

After inspecting the damage done by the fire, Fubara described the development as unfortunate saying he was aware of the plot to impeach him.

The Governor lamented that the security operatives had been compromised and cried out that he was directly shot at on his way to the Assembly complex.

Describing himself as a peaceful person, Fubara said he was not planning anything against anybody and called on the people of the State to pray for him.

Fubara said: “It is unfortunate that we should be experiencing this kind of thing again after about nine years ago when we experience a similar thing. 

“I got the information last night and said I must come and see it myself. Everybody who knows me knows that I’m a peaceful person. I am aware about the a plot to impeach me for whatever reason but I’m not bothered about it. 

“But I am worried that a facility like this  built with tax payers money will be destroyed like this for selfish reasons just to please somebody”.

The Governor said he was ready to be remembered as someone, who died for the struggle describing the move by the lawmakers to impeach him as rubbish.

Read Also: BREAKING: Rivers lawmakers serve impeachment notice on Gov Fubara

“I’m calling on security agencies, but from what I have seen the security is even compromised. They were shooting at me directly. 

“I am not planning anything against anybody. I hear some people gathered here to do whatever. But that is pure rubbish. You cannot sit when there is a problem and say you are doing anything. What are you doing? 

“I’m the chief security officer. No other person should come and create an alternative place somewhere for the Assembly to seat”.

Youths especially from the Ijaw extraction were seen surrounding the entrance to the Government House along to he Nnamdi Azikiwe road.