Rivers Crisis: Wike's Control of Assembly 'll Soon End
After being barred from entering the State House of Assembly, Rivers State Governor, Siminilayi Fubara has predicted that his predecessor, Nyesom Wike’s dominance over the Martins Amaewhule-led assembly will one day become history.
Fubara’s forecast came barely four hours after security personnel barred him from entering the assembly premises, where he was scheduled to present the 2024 appropriation bill to the Martins Amaewhule-led lawmakers, as stipulated by law.
This dramatic turn of events occurred after Fubara finally agreed to implement the Supreme Court order, which included conducting a fresh council election and presenting his appropriation budget to the assembly.
“Nothing lasts forever, not even the greatest power. What truly matters is how we wield it. Even if I were to possess the power they claim I have, I’m mindful of its responsible use. I’ve never been one to misuse power, for I know that its abuse leads to situations like this. I will continue to work with restraint, always remembering that there’s life beyond power” he said.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Bori General Hospital which took place at Khana Local Government Area of the state, Fubara disclosed that his visit to the legislative premises was to resolve the issue between him and the lawmakers.
Contrary to reports circulating in the media, the governor stated that he made frantic efforts to reach the Amaewhule, including sending a WhatsApp message to the speaker and the other 26 members, notifying them before he arrived at the venue.
According to him, “I want to set the record straight. For that reason, I made a frantic effort to meet the Speaker, which he cannot deny. I even sent a WhatsApp message to him and the others, notifying them that I would be arriving at 10 am this morning to present the budget. My intention was to ensure that the Rivers State budget would not be delayed because of me, as has been alleged.”
“However, it was unfortunate that when we arrived we were denied access. What I’m hearing this morning is that we did not make any communication, but I leave everything to God, who sees the secrets. I did everything possible to ensure that the situation was sorted out, and I still believe that it may be resolved later. I’m ready every day to make sure the whole thing is resolved”
“I felt compelled to address this issue because there are media reports circulating that I did not communicate or comply with efforts to resolve the situation. I wanted to take this opportunity to set the record straight and provide clarity on the situation we’re facing”.
