Rivers Crisis: Call Wike to order, INC urges Tinubu

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) worldwide has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to order over lingering crises in Rivers.

Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President, INC,  made the appeal at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

Wike and Gov. Siminialayi Fubara are at loggerheads over the control of political machinery in the oil-rich state.

Okaba said INC was concerned that if left unchecked the political crisis could affect other parts of the country.

‘’Mr President, sir, as the father of the nation, the alter ego of Nigeria, we are fervently appealing to you to call the FCT Minister to order.

“This is for the sake of peace and security in Nigeria. Stop this drift towards national disintegration and anarchy now’’, he said.

Okaba alleged that Wike’s power tussle with Fubara might not be unconnected with the minister’s desire to enhance Tinubu’s electoral fortunes in the next general polls.

‘’We understand the dictates of politics and the need to harvest Rivers votes for the President’s second tenure elections.

“What we misunderstand is the thought that only the FCT minister can assist the President to win Rivers’’, Okoba said.

He said Fubara had been faithful to Tinubu’s 8-point directive to both parties during the conflict resolution meeting held in Abuja.

‘’In October 2023 you called stakeholders to a meeting and tabled an 8-point directive to all parties involved to return peace to Rivers.

‘’Whereas many of our people considered your 8-Point directive as manifestly slanted against the governor’s interest and in favour of the FCT minister, the governor acceded to it,’’ he said.

Okaba said that while governor acted in good faith with respect to the directive, the minister acted otherwise by refusing to withdraw the court cases instituted by him.

He added that less than three weeks after the Presidential directives, Martins Amaewhule led 25 members the Rivers House of Assembly to defect to the opposition All People’s Congress.

On the just-held local government election in the state, Okaba said that Fubara obeyed Supreme Court order that Local Government Areas in Nigeria must be administered by elected officers, without which funds must be withheld.

He said Fubara worked assiduous to actualise the return of elected officers to the local government areas in accordance with Tinubu’s desires and backed by the Supreme Court judgement.

He also said that Fubara holds permanent olive branches, sending constant peace emissaries to the FCT minister.

‘’So again we appeal to Mr President to call the FCT minister to order as a stitch in time, they say saves nine,’’ he said.