Rivers Crisis: ‘There’s No Progress Because Wike Wants Everybody To Bow Before Him And Worship Him’ – Henry

Lawyer and activist, Chetam Henry, has submitted that the desire of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to maintain absolute control over political happenings in Rivers State is responsible for the crisis in the state.

Henry was of the opinion that Wike fights everyone who doesn’t want to abide by his dictates.

Speaking on Tuesday during an interview appearance on Arise News, where he spoke about the political crisis in Rivers State, the lawyer added that Wike has gone against all the principles he stood for while he was Governor.

“Everything has to be about him,” he said. “If you’re not in line with whatever he’s doing, you’re a bad person, you don’t have character, you don’t keep to your word…All his principles, everything he fought against as governor, he has now gone against them. None of his principles has he kept.”

He added that the FCT Minister is behind the impeachment proceedings initiated against Governor Siminalayi Fubara by the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“It is not about waking up in the morning to say, ‘Oh, we want to impeach the governor,” he said.

Henry pointed out, however that the lawmakers must be able to prove the allegations against the Governor before impeachment can happen, adding that the constitution clearly states that the Chief Judge, who is required to appoint a seven-man panel to investigate the allegations, must also be involved in the process.

“Until they are able to prove these allegations to be true, there are procedures to impeachment,” he noted.

Rivers Assembly Members Are Wike’s Puppets

Naijaonpoint reports that the lawyer alleged during the interview that the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule are loyalists of Wike, and all their actions, including the impeachment proceedings, are being influenced by the Minister.

“The Rivers State House of Assembly as of today has made itself a puppet to the FCT minister,” he said. “And it’s actually unfortunate and sad. This has kept our state in the situation it is facing today.

“Just on Saturday, the minister had stated clearly that they must impeach the governor. And if the minister has said they must impeach the governor, the Assembly members, who are his puppets, followed suit,” he alleged.

Henry also claimed that Wike had personally funded the election campaigns of the lawmakers, hence their blind loyalty to him.

“Don’t forget, this same minister bought forms for all the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and he controls whatever they do. They are not even loyal to the Rivers people who they seek to serve. They are loyal to the minister of the FCT,” he said.

Wike Is The Problem

On the lingering crisis in Rivers State, the lawyer said the blame lies at the feet of Wike, who wants everyone to dance to his own tune, adding that what the Minister wants is not possible.

Henry lamented that despite the Supreme Court ruling, the political tension in the state remains unresolved.

“We felt when the decision from the Supreme Court came that these issues would at some point be relaxed and that we would make progress as a state,” he said. “But it’s not looking likely that we are going to make progress because somebody wants everybody to bow before him and worship him. That cannot happen.”

Henry acknowledged the role Wike played in the emergence of Fubara but said the governor must be allowed to work for the people and not a single individual.

“Even in the last elections that led to the emergence of this current governor, we saw the high-handedness of the FCT minister,” he said. “He made sure that he brought his preferred candidate into office.” However, he argued that Fubara has since chosen a different path. “The man was elected by my people to serve my people. We cannot continue with this hanky-panky thing against Rivers people, against their interests,” he insisted.

Wike Wants A Third Term

Henry alleged that the intention of Wike for installing Fubara is to have a third term by proxy and now that the Governor has turned against him and refused to be controlled, the Minister is infuriated.

“What Wike wanted was a situation where he would have a third term through the current governor of Rivers State,” he stated. “And the governor has looked at it and said, ‘No, whatever the plans of the minister are, they are not in the best interest of Rivers people.’”

The activist also alleged that Wike has always found a way of preventing a free and fair election in Rivers State.

“I can’t remember the last time we had a free and fair election in Rivers State. “We all know how Wike muscled his way through that particular election, how he stopped opposition from campaigning,” he said.

The Chief Judge Is Not Spared

Henry further claimed that Wike is now using intimidation tactics to maintain control, even targeting the state’s Chief Judge.

“Today, anybody who does not support him, he wakes up in the morning and calls them names,” he said. “As I speak to you today, they are after the Chief Judge of the state. This same Chief Judge who was appointed under his administration, and now, because the man seems not to ‘play ball’ with them on this impeachment matter, they suddenly remember he falsified his age,” the activist submitted.