Former local government chairmen in Rivers State have accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of orchestrating an attack on the Port Harcourt residence of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, during a hunger protest on Tuesday......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The protesters reportedly besieged Wike’s house along Ada George Road, chanting hostile slogans and attempting to invade the property. The police intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.
Speaking under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, the former chairmen, who served during Wike’s tenure, alleged that Governor Fubara directed the protesters to target Wike’s residence. Dr. Chidi Lloyd, former chairman of Emuoha Local Government Area, stated, “We are aware that he [Fubara] directed the protesters to go to the residence of the minister. We will also organise our people and go to Forces Avenue where he is building on a 32-plot of land.” He further warned, “Fubara does not have the capacity to cow anybody here. He knows it. And we know his properties and those of his cronies.”
Lloyd accused Fubara of looting state funds and inciting ethnic tensions, stating, “He wants to incite ethnic bigotry here. If what happened yesterday at Ada George repeats itself, Fubara will not even be here to govern the state.”
In response, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed the allegations, likening the former chairmen’s claims to “the last kick of a dying horse.” Johnson said, “If you ask me, they have finished their tenure and have gone by our own law. So, what they are doing is meddling in what does not concern them. They are like ordinary citizens.”
Johnson also claimed that the former chairmen have been holding meetings aimed at destabilizing the state, describing their efforts as “the machinations of the wicked.” He added, “The Bible has said that he disappointed the devices of the enemy so that they would not practice their enterprise.”