Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara has expressed discontentment over the mention of his name by President Bola Tinubu in his statement concerning the destruction of local government secretariats in the oil-rich State.
Rivers recorded destruction with at least four local government area secretariats burnt on Monday, October 7 with parts of the buildings in Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua council premises razed down by rampaging political hoodlums, while gunshots were fired sporadically in Ahoada East to resist newly elected council officials from accessing the secretariats.
Tinubu however, in a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, while directing the police to secure the local government secretariats in the state, also “called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, political leaders and their supporters in Rivers State to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law”.
Fubara however reacted to the mention of his name during an interview on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” programme on Monday, October 7.
He said: “I do not have any issue with it (the President’s intervention) but I am a bit concerned when my name was only mentioned.
“The issue is very simple. It’s as simple as ABC, everyone in Nigeria, everyone in Rivers State knows where this issue is coming from. It’s not rocket science. We know what the issue is and the issue is not Fubara, it is not.
“I believe strongly that with the recent intervention of the Inspector General of Police, maybe we will have a breathing space.
“Maybe as a result of him pulling his men out of those secretariats might be one of the reasons they (hoodlums) took advantage of the situation but I will appeal that while the men are there, the elected officers should have the opportunity to do their work, at least, let them provide security for them, which was even what I was thinking of.
“I was never of the opinion that the police should pull out completely. No. When they said they were moving out, it was what allowed these miscreants to take advantage of the secretariats to destroy them.”
English