‘Why Fubara-Wike feud may be beyond reconciliation’

Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, in this interview with ANN GODWIN, alleged that for as long as the control of state’s resources remains the undercurrent of the conflict of interest, reconciliation would be far-fetched.

The political battle in Rivers State must have been a serious distraction to the current administration, what’s your view on this?
A lot has happened within the first year after the attempted impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on October 30, 2023, by Martins Amaewhule group. But I want to tell Nigerians that by the grace of God, the governor is healthy and strong enough to discharge his duties accordingly. Yes, the enemies of our state are not also resting in distracting him but he is ensuring that there are projects, programmes around the 23 local government areas of the state aimed at improving lives and making the state better.

Are you not concerned that the crisis is already affecting local government administration in the state?
We want to make this clear that as a local government and as a state, one man cannot own or control our resources. We are here to tell the man who wants to play god to mind his business and concentrate on his ministerial assignment in Abuja. Rivers State is too big for one man to own as a private estate. Nigerians are watching that one particular person threatening democracy in Nigeria to be careful. His name is Nyesom Wike. We have a president in this country, Bola Tinubu. People are watching to see if the President will allow Wike to destroy democracy in Nigeria.
 
You also heard that a Federal High Court gave an order restraining Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from releasing the monthly allocation of the state and you can now see how desperate the FCT minister is. He wants to starve the workers of Rivers State, pensioners, workers in the higher institutions, and our mothers, who are working in the state. Come to think of it, even most of his supporters are lecturers in some of the higher institutions across the state, yet he wants to starve them of funds because he is desperate, he wants to own the state. It is not possible.
  
We are going to resist him. However, it is quite unfortunate that he is from our local government council – Obio-Akpor. We have said he should stop disgracing our people. Our people are not too desperate. I want to also say that Wike became a governor by error but we supported him for eight years, why not allow Governor Fubara to do his own eight years?
 
Former Governor Chibuike Amaechi was close to the ex-President, Muhammadu Buhari when Wike became governor and chased all the 23 local government chairmen out of office, Amaechi didn’t stop the allocation of Rivers State. He didn’t say let my people suffer. He left Wike and continued his job as Minister for Transportation. Why can’t Wike concentrate on his ministerial duties in Abuja and allow Rivers people to rest? Each day you hear different stories, different court judgments but we are not deterred or intimidated by his antics. But I call on Mr President to call his minister to order.

Don’t you think all these squabbles are playing out because of the 2027 general elections?
 2027 is very close and the Minister said he’s waiting, but he should allow peace to reign in our state. Wike should allow people to see the developments Governor Fubara has put in place, so people will assess Wike and Fubara to know who performs better.
  
Wike is trying to distract Fubara because he wants to own the resources that belong to our people. I want to plead with Rivers people that they should be calm because even the international communities are watching what is happening where one man thinks that he can take over our state through the back door.

But we will not allow that to happen.
  I encourage the people to go about their normal businesses. Fubara will be governor for eight years. In Obio-Akpor Local Government, we are 100 per cent in support of what he is doing. We supported Wike for eight years and we are going to support Fubara for eight years too.

How will you react to the judgment stopping the state’s allocation, and what are your other plans?
Well, we have started paying salaries. There is nowhere such a court order would stand. I have told you before that it is only a demonic and satanic human being that would approach a court to stop Rivers people from getting what belongs to them. The state government has appealed that matter, so it’s not something we would talk about. The enemy that we have in this state thinks that he’s god, but he is not.
 
Wike has also shown that he’s in charge of the judiciary in Nigeria. So, what is the hope of the common man if one man is claiming to be in charge of the judiciary? What’s their fate when one man has hijacked the judiciary and each morning you wake up to see counter judgements and some Nigerians are clapping for Wike?
  
We are watching them but we have confidence in the Chief Justice of Nigeria. What other judges are doing is what they have been asked to do. Wike believes that he can buy everybody but he can’t buy God.

What are the major factors still fuelling the crisis?
 There is no other reason than the fact that Wike wanted to control every Kobo that comes into Rivers State, but the current administration said no, that’s not right, this is the problem. You are aware that when Wike was governor, Amaechi ensured that the federal government paid N78 billion to Rivers State coffers as refunds for federal projects he did in the state. Did Wike account for that money? He didn’t. So, why is Wike interested in the funds of the state? Amaechi was never interested but Wike is interested even in the resources that come to ObioAkpor local government. His problem is that I’m the chairman of the council. He has planned how to control Rivers State till he is 80 years but God truncated his plan.

Are you not bothered about the controversies trailing the October 5, local government elections in the state?
There is nothing to be worried about. I have confidence in the October 5 local government elections in the state and everyone saw it. People voted and results were announced and our party, Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 councils and Action Alliance (AP) won one council that is Etche LGA. You are also aware that the current members of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) were inaugurated by Wike. In fact, one of his brothers is a member of the commission from Rumuepirikom. And I can attest that the election was transparent and as I speak, I have a matter in the tribunal, filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate.

Any hope for reconciliation with the way the crisis has been going on?
The day the court judgement stopping the state allocation was delivered, my governor was dancing at our October thanksgiving service. So, we are not bothered. I’m not interested in any reconciliation now and let me also say that we are going to discharge our duties accordingly to ensure that our people get dividends for voting us as council chairmen. We have passed that stage of talking of reconciliation because the man we are dealing with does not even have a forgiving spirit. He’s our brother, we have worked with him. If a man says that he made you to be governor and he wants to control you to the extent of telling you when to meet with your wife, the crisis has passed the stage of reconciliation. What we are talking about now is how Rivers State will move forward.

But the crisis is taking a toll on the pace of investments in the state?
I believe with the progress that the governor has made investors are coming in more and I’m also calling on people to come in and invest. Rivers State is secured despite distractions from one man.

As chairman of Obio-Akpor local government, what should the people expect in your first one year in office?
We will focus on infrastructure and human capital development. We are also going to provide cars for the council Vice Chairman and other key principal officers in our local government. We are also going to flag off the International Women Development Centre at SARS Road where we have the International Market. We shall provide electricity, most of the transformers that were bought by the former local government that were not powered, we have awarded contracts to activate them. We have about 15 of them bought by former Council Chairmen. We are also going to cut down all the taxes paid by those doing business in the local government area. We have also warned those collecting illegal monies to stop or we’ll deal with them.
 
Our people should expect a lot of things from our administration. We will be having regular meetings with the traditional rulers, youths, men and women and provide a platform to discuss and know their needs. We will ensure the safety of the people and a friendly environment for doing business.

You lamented the impacts of the ring road projects in the council?
Yes, the Ring road awarded by the previous administration is not necessary, just go and see the kind of flyovers they are building, it is an eyesore, causing a lot of traffic. In fact, the flyover at Rukpoku is even unnecessary. I’m not criticising it because of politics, go and see what is going on there, people are suffering. I want to also appeal to Governor Fubara to set up a probe panel to investigate the activities of former Governor Wike. The governor has said he’s going to revive the state owned investments like the Songhai Farm but Wike has said no but because the governor wants our state to progress and he doesn’t want it to suffer. We are not scared, we believe that we are doing the right thing.