Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned that “Nobody has the monopoly of causing violence” as his political rift with his successor, Rivers State’s Governor Sim Fubara continues.
He said: “I have told people that nobody has a monopoly on causing violence. The mere fact that we choose to play according to the rule of law, to be calm and not to turn ourselves into where investors would run away, and that is what we will continue to do.”
Wike spoke as the Elders Forum of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) apologised to him for the ongoing rift with Governor Fubara, their ‘’son.”
The elders, led by the Executive Director of Finance at the Niger Delta Development Commission, Boma Iyaye, tendered their apology to Wike at the Rivers State Ijaw People’s Congress organised in his honour in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Saturday.
Iyaye stated that the Ijaw people are sorry for the ”embarrassment and public display of disregard” for the minister by Fubara. According to them, it is not in their culture to repay good with evil.
“On behalf of our people, we are apologising to you for what our son is doing to you. We are sorry. We are sorry o because it is not in our nature to pay evil for good. You have done well for us, and we will continue to say thank you.
Your Excellency, do not, because of this bad behaviour of our son, run away from us. Continue to be our brother. Continue to have us in mind. We have never set our feet on the number one seat of Rivers State. You made it possible for us to become the Governor of Rivers State.”
The Chairman of the Elders Forum, PDP Rivers State, Ferdinard Anabraba, berated the Fubara government, saying that the Ijaw nationality would not forget Wike.
“The aberration we are seeing in the administration of Rivers State is only a demonstration of lack of political discharge of an individual, and by no means the opinion of Ijaw people.
“We, the Ijaw, see you as the light of Rivers State. You are indeed a notable strategist in Nigeria’s contemporary politics. And without doubt, you are the most celebrated Ijaw politician of national recognition,” he said.
Speaking at the occasion, Wike also used the opportunity to clear the air about public perception that Fubara was speaking the mind of the entire Ijaw people as both battled for supremacy.
He said: “Let me thank this team for this strategic meeting here today. First of all, when I was approached by Senator Johnson Nsakebor. He was sent by the Rivers Ijaw Congress, that they want to honour me. I asked what the essence of such was. Why do you want to waste such money? I need the money. Give it to me. But he said so many people go on Television and speak as if they speak on behalf of the Ijaw people. I said okay, I will come and let Nigerians know.
“This gathering here today is a message to those of them in Abuja who don’t understand. So if anybody tells you one day, that the Ijaw people are fighting me. It is not correct. We have some ungrateful people everywhere. A father can have twelve children and one can be an armed robber. Does that mean that the whole family are armed robbers?
“So, all these people going to television to say Ijaw people are fighting me. Ask them, where all the Ijaw people in the House of Assembly were positioned.
“Who has Fubara made? All the things you see are people who are envious of our growth. They couldn’t do what we are doing today. These are people who we have defeated politically severally. If the opportunity comes again, we will defeat them again.
“I have made an Ijaw man Governor of Rivers State. God used us. All of us here had sleepless nights. So who loves Ijaw more? Is it people who come out on television who cannot even make their Ijaw brother Governor? If they were that powerful, since the old Rivers State, has Ijaw ever become Governor? Where are they?”
