…Fubara hasn’t reached out for forgiveness, Wike replies Tompolo
The House of Representatives ad-hoc committee on Rivers State oversight has summoned Rivers State’s Sole Administrator to appear before it today over the ongoing state of emergency rule in the state.
The committee, which was constituted by the lower chamber following the National Assembly’s resolution endorsing President Bola Tinubu’s proclamation of a state of emergency in the state, made this decision during its inaugural meeting held yesterday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
The panel took over the function of the suspended Rivers State House of Assembly. The meeting, which followed the formal inauguration of the committee by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, provided a platform for members to deliberate on preliminary reports and developments emerging from the state since the Sole Administrator assumed office.
Spokesman of the House, Akin Rotimi, who disclosed this in a statement, said pursuant to its constitutional mandate to exercise full legislative oversight in accordance with Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the committee resolved, among other matters, to invite Ibas to appear before it for a comprehensive interactive session.
According to the Chairman of the Committee and House Leader, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, the engagement is necessary to ascertain the true state of affairs in Rivers State and ensure that the House remains properly guided in the discharge of its oversight responsibilities in the public interest.
MEANWHILE, over 100 women, under the umbrella of Rivers Women Unite Prayer Group, have taken to the streets again, reiterating their demand for the immediate termination of the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State.
The women, adorned in red attires and brandishing placards with bold inscriptions, cited the unconstitutionality and unjust nature of the emergency rule.
They condemn the actions of the Sole Administrator, retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, accusing him of deepening divisions among political stakeholders rather than fostering reconciliation.
The group, in a protest letter issued to newsmen and jointly signed by Dr. Nancy Chidi Nwankwo and Dr. Vivian Ige-Elenwo, alleged that Ibas has dismantled democratic institutions and implemented policies aimed at achieving political domination, “serving the interests of those who appointed him.”
They also rejected any attempts to stifle the voices of the people or frustrate legitimate dissent, condemning the dictatorial tendencies of Ibas and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has not reached out to him to apologise—a condition Wike says is necessary before considering forgiveness.
The minister stated that a key requirement for forgiving someone who has done wrong is that the person must first acknowledge their wrongdoing and make efforts to seek forgiveness.
Wike, speaking through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, was reacting to a call by Niger Delta ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, who urged him to forgive Fubara, his estranged political protégé.
Tompolo, in a recent statement on the Rivers State crisis, emphasised the need for restraint and unity, urging Wike to set aside his anger for the greater good.
Responding to the appeal, Wike, through Olayinka, clarified that he had not accused Fubara of any personal wrongdoing but had merely called for adherence to proper governance principles.
He explained the reconciliation process, saying that even if an offence had occurred, the offender must first admit it and reach out for reconciliation and forgiveness.
