• Vows to dislodge Fubara in 2027
• Rivers NLC applauds gov over workers’ welfare
• State govt clarifies Christmas bonus controversy
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said that the details of the peace agreement reached between him and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, before President Bola Tinubu, would soon be made public.
Wike disclosed this yesterday during a “thank-you visit” to Tai Local Council Area of Rivers State. Tinubu had, in June, brokered a peace deal between Wike and Fubara in a bid to resolve the protracted political crisis in the state and restore stability.
Although he did not mention names, the minister accused the governor of reneging on the agreement, stating that the Rivers people would soon be informed of what was agreed at the Presidential Villa. “Very soon, we will let the people of Rivers State know what we agreed on before the President,” Wike said.
He cautioned the people of Tai against associating with individuals who fail to keep their promises under the guise of politics, stressing that such persons cannot be trusted. Wike also declared that Rivers people were politically prepared for the 2027 general elections, warning that money would not determine electoral outcomes in the state. According to him, the will of the people remains paramount.
The minister explained that his visit to Tai was not politically motivated but meant to appreciate the people for their support for him and the President during the 2023 elections.
IN a related development, the FCT minister has also declared that there would be no reversal of the political decision to “restore power to the people of Rivers State” in the 2027 general elections.
Wike made this assertion during a “thank-you visit” to Eleme Local Council Area of Rivers State, saying the resolve was firm and non-negotiable. According to him, the decision includes support for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu for a second term and a determination to correct what he described as leadership mistakes at the state level.
“No amount of money will change our course. We have done it before, and we are going to do it again,” Wike said.
“We are prepared. We have made a decision, and we are not going back. Nobody will intimidate us.”
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare, following the recent disbursement of a Christmas bonus to civil and public servants in the state.
Reiterating its stance, the state government assured workers of its unwavering commitment to their welfare. Recall that the Fubara-led administration recently approved and paid a N100,000 Christmas bonus to all civil and public servants, as well as pensioners on the state government payroll, for the third consecutive year.
However, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly reportedly rejected the bonus and returned the funds, describing the payment as unsolicited. The lawmakers, in a statement, insisted that all public expenditure must follow due process, including legislative approval.
Reacting, the Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in the state, Sunny Dada, said the lawmakers were not entitled to the bonus, noting that such payments were meant exclusively for civil servants.
However, the state government clarified that its yearly N100,000 Christmas bonus was paid to all civil and public office holders in the state, without discrimination.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Honour Sirawoo, in a statement yesterday, said the bonus is disbursed across board to all workers, including pensioners, captured on the state government payroll system.
