Former local government chairmen in Rivers State have accused the current Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, of sponsoring the recent attack by hunger protesters on the Port Harcourt residence of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike. The ex-LG chairmen, speaking on Wednesday under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, have warned that Governor Fubara does not have a monopoly on violence.
They have threatened to mobilize their supporters to unleash an attack on Fubara’s properties in retaliation. Amid the ongoing nationwide protests against hunger and hardship, demonstrators marched to Wike’s residence along Ada George Road in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. They laid siege to the property, chanting war songs and using unprintable language against the former governor. It was only the presence and vigilance of the police that prevented the protesters from invading Wike’s mansion.
Dr. Chidi Lloyd, a former Chairman of the Emuoha Local Government Area, has stated that they are aware that Governor Fubara had directed the protesters to target the former governor’s residence. He has warned that they will also organize their people to go to Forces Avenue, where Fubara is currently building on a 32-plot of land. The ex-LG chairmen have conveyed a clear message that they will not tolerate the current governor’s alleged involvement in the attack on Wike’s property and have vowed to retaliate in kind if necessary.
Dr. Chidi Lloyd further stated “We are cognizant of their properties and those of their associates. All they have achieved has been the substantial misappropriation of Rivers State’s funds. Therefore, he should exercise caution. He aims to incite ethnic intolerance here. If what occurred yesterday at Ada George is repeated, Fubara will not even be present to govern the state. We will not permit him to destroy all that we have accomplished in this state simply because he lacks leadership experience. Consequently, the protesters should gather at the government house and inquire about his utilization of the N238bn he collected between May and June.”
However, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, provided a swift response, stating that the former LG chairmen sounded like broken records. “In my opinion, they have completed their tenure and have departed in accordance with our laws. Hence, what they are doing is meddling in matters that do not concern them. They are akin to ordinary citizens. “If there was anything I observed along the Ada George Road yesterday (Tuesday), I saw protesters who walked past the house of the FCT Minister, and I witnessed a robust police presence.”
