The suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that President Tinubu did not have adequate information to guide him before reaching his decision to declare a state of emergency and suspend the democratic structures in the state.
Fubara said this in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Thursday.
The statement provided counter positions to most of the foundations on which President Tinubu laid the basis for the suspension of the governor; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
It said: “Our attention has been drawn to a number of allegations claiming that Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, did nothing to dissuade criminal groups and militants from making good their threats to attack oil installations in the state.
“There was also another claim that after demolishing the hallowed chamber of the state House of Assembly on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, the governor did nothing to rebuild the facility.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored the statements as mere results of lack of adequate information to the Presidency by those tasked with the responsibility of providing same to guide decision-making, but it has become imperative to set the records straight and correct the erroneous impression such narratives are creating in the minds of the Nigerian people.
“First, it is important to clarify that Governor Fubara has nothing to do with the threats by militants and also did not, in any way ‘telegraph’ the reported attacks on any oil facility in the state.
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“It is on record that the reaction of stakeholders in the Niger Delta, especially elders, chiefs, women, Ijaw National Congress, its youth wing, IYC, as well as militants, among others, was triggered by remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, in a live media chat, during which he dismissed Ijaws as a minority of the minorities and powerless in the Nigerian polity, saying that Ijaws are not the only ones that are militants and can blow up pipelines; that Ogonis, Ikwerres, and others are also militants and can as well blow up pipelines.
“Most of the Ijaw groups and leaders even demanded an apology from the FCT Minister, which he rebuffed.”
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