Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has vowed to prove doubters who view his commitment to a peace deal made with President Bola Tinubu and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as weakness.
According to the governor, he decided out of his respect for President Tinubu, who brokered the agreement.
Fubara spoke during a solidarity rally by local government employees under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) from the 23 local government areas at Government House Gate in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
In a statement released after the rally by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara said there have been various comments in the media on the implementation of the peace initiative but he has chosen to be silent out of maturity and wisdom.
He added that the deal, which was accepted by all stakeholders, including him, was a political solution to the crisis in the state.
The Governor said his immediate implementation of the pact, brokered in late 2023, was a sign of respect for President Tinubu.
However, he cautioned those interpreting his actions as weakness, saying, “Let me say it here for record purposes: What is happening here in our dear state is somebody who has respect for an elder.
“Mr. President invited all the parties to Abuja and came up with a resolution that we should go and implement. That resolution, I am implementing it. It is not a constitutional implementation. It is a political solution to a problem.
“And I am doing it because of the respect I have for Mr. President. But, let me say it here: if that action that I have accepted to take is seen as a weakness, I will surprise them. I want this message to go to them.”
According to Fubara, their large number was proof of the organic support his administration had continued to enjoy from the people of the state.
He said, “Some days ago, somebody said we are busy renting crowd for thanksgiving. But what I have seen here today isn’t different from what is happening at those Thanksgiving rallies. People are just appreciating God and good governance.
“For our people, the great and wonderful people of Rivers State, we will continue to lead you with the fear of God.
“Maturity is not about age; maturity is in the person. It is what defines the character of a person. I choose not to respond to people that I assumed are matured, but are obviously immature in attitude.
“I will continue to be mature, not minding my age, but I will not, for any reason, allow myself or anybody who is working with me in this administration to be messed with, maltreated or abused in the cause of administering this governance,” he said.
Recall that last year, about 27 lawmakers, who were loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara.
Subsequently, they resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) due to political differences between Fubara and Wike.
This resulted in their seats being declared vacant by some lawmakers loyal to the governor.
Meanwhile, the eight-point peace pact brokered by President Tinubu late last year facilitated the governor’s recognition of the assembly. Despite this, the crisis persists.
Recently, the state assembly has threatened to impeach Fubara due to his refusal to implement all directives in the pact.
Additionally, the state assembly accused Fubara of failing to allocate funds to the Rivers Independent Electoral Commission to conduct elections for local government councils in the state.
