“Rivers Belongs to No One, I Won’t Be Oppressed,” Fubara Fires Back at Wike
September 30, 2024
By Okafor Joseph Afam
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has fired back at a statement made by his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, amidst the escalating political tensions in the state.
Last weekend, Wike, the immediate past governor, took a swipe at Fubara for lending support to the Action Peoples Party (APP), which he mocked as inferior to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At a civic reception organized by the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress in Port Harcourt on Saturday, Wike asserted that God had used him to elevate Fubara, an Ijaw man, to the governorship. Wike further claimed ownership of ongoing projects and the political structure within the state.
Wike declared, “Who has Fubara made?… I have made an Ijaw man governor of Rivers State. God used us… So, who loves Ijaw more? These are people who we have defeated politically several times. If the opportunity comes again, we will defeat them again.”
In response, Governor Fubara spoke on Sunday during an inter-denominational church thanksgiving service held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Port Harcourt. Fubara’s tone was both defiant and unifying as he emphasized that Rivers State is not anyone’s personal property.
He said, “Rivers State is nobody’s enterprise. We need to join hands together to sustain and develop our state.” He also referenced a remark from the Dean regarding the national anthem, adding, “I like this new one, especially where it says – a nation built, where no man is oppressed. It is so unique. If that is where I stand, you should understand, I can’t be a party to oppressing anybody. And for the fact that I can’t be a party to oppress anybody, by the special grace of God, nobody can oppress me.”
The governor continued by reassuring his supporters that the most difficult phase of the crisis had passed. “We have gone past the most difficult stage. That is the truth… Some of our decisions may not be favourable, but we must move on as a family. At this time, what is important is to protect the soul of this state. It does not belong to anyone. Rivers State is nobody’s enterprise.”
Fubara’s remarks called for solidarity in protecting the state’s interests and urged the citizens to “stand strong and fight.”
The political situation in Rivers remains fluid as both Wike and Fubara navigate the state’s governance and power dynamics, with Fubara’s message underscoring a refusal to be overshadowed by past legacies.
