FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has revealed how Siminalayi Fubara Fubara turned down the offer to be Rivers governor.
The minister revealed this at Abalama during a civic reception and thanksgiving organized by Kalabari.
Wike said when it was being decidrd who should take over from him, Fubara declined when asked to step forward, and suggested the then Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, instead.
The minister said at the end of the day Fubara still became the governor, adding that Chief Alabraba, Chief Seargent Awuse and OCJ Okocha mounted pressure on him to allow Fubara in the principle of live and let live.
He said he was misrepresented in his last mefia chat, “I want to repeat what I said. I said we are all working together if we don’t work together it would have been difficult to produce the governor. That was what I said. Chief Alabraba did not allow me to rest; he nearly fainted when we were deciding who would be governor.
“Himself, OCJ Okocha and Sergeant Awuse and Celestine Omehia when we met, that day was the primary, this governor today (Fubara) said he was not going to run that my Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, should be the one to run. Celestine Omehia said it should be Isaac Kamalu that this governor cannot carry out effectively, the functions of the governor.
“OCJ Okocha and Chief Awuse said live and let live. Let us not do something that people will begin to say why must it be only one sided. What I mean was that it was not because of the strength or the power of Ijaw. It was because we worked together.
“Nobody should associate anything evil to Ijaw. Ijaw people are not evil people. You cannot at everytime be saying I will blow pipeline. No. Engage people intellectually and diplomatically and you get what you want. In the world we are in today we have passed the stage of threatening people.”
Wike accused the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Dr. Tammy Danagogo, of instigating the main issue that led to the ongoing political crisis in the state.
According to the Minister, Fubara’s aide misled him to seize the salaries and allowances of the House of Assembly members for over a year telling the governor that nothing would happen.
He said: “They told you to seize Assembly members salaries and allowances for more than one year. They have no income to feed their families and pay their children school fees. And you were jubilating and people were encouraging you and telling you that nothing would happen.
“Now something has happened. I am not going to stop the assembly from performing their constitutional duties. The Assembly should be allowed to perform their duties. People who love peace don’t threaten people.
“I told you that the House of Assembly will not lose their seats. I told you that the shenanigans of local government would not stand. I don’t need to be a governor. I know what is illegal is illegal. We fight it constitutionally and by following due process. What did we do wrong?
“We said all these chairmen and the assembly members suffered, national Assembly members suffered for you to become governor. Therefore, don’t abandon them. But they said I was asking for money. Has the money come? Those you are sharing the money, how far?
