In renewed hostilities, Rivers State’s Governor Siminalayi Fubara has referred to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a barking dog who failed to recognise the great work happening in the area.
Fubara spoke at the New Year banquet held at the Government House in Port Harcourt, held on Thursday, saying: “If you have a dog in your house and it knows you, does it need to bark?”
The Governor was apparently reacting to the renewed hostility between him and the Minister.
But responding, while addressing the people of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) who held a reception for him on Friday, Wike said: “This dog, that’s barking now, barked even when Rivers people didn’t know who the person was. And the dog that barked made the person to be governor when others ran away and he’s not afraid that the same dog now is barking. I wish him goodluck.
Fubara had said that those who are “barking” are doing so because they do not understand what is happening.
“Don’t be disturbed by what is happening. Caesar, in one of his quotes, said the only reason a dog barks is when it doesn’t understand,” he said.
“If you have a dog in your house and it knows you, does it need to bark? So when the dog starts barking, maybe it is seeing something it doesn’t understand.
“We are not barking because we understand. We know where we are going, and we have put everything needed in place to make the journey smooth.”
Wike, Fubara’s estranged godfather, immediately responded to the barking dog allusion by the Governor.
He expressed regrets that he had backed Fubara’s emergence against better known opponents in 2023.
He said: “We have decided for Asiwaju Tinubu. There’s no discussion about that, but there’s one we must take a decision. We won’t make the mistake we made last time. We would correct the mistake.
“I heard him say those who worked with Atiku are back. They couldn’t give Atiku 10%. So, what is the political advantage. I won’t call their names, but you all know them.”
