A coalition of youths in Rivers State, under the aegis of Rivers Liberation Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations, have condemned in strong terms the impeachment attempt against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while calling for the “immediate redeployment of the state Police commissioner, Emeka Nwonyi Polycarp, and his deputy.
Addressing a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Saturday, the group condemned, “in strong terms,” the alleged attacks on the governor by operatives of the Rivers State Police Command on Monday, October 30, 2023.
The youths who declared their “unalloyed support” for Governor Siminalayi Fubara, said they could no longer stand by and watch the intimidation against the governor.
Convener of one of the youth groups participating in the coalition, the Ogoni Development Drive, Solomon Lenu, said they were no longer comfortable with the happenings in the state.
Lenu, who flayed the alleged overbearing attitude of the FCT minister towards public office holders in the state, demanded an end to the trend in the state.
He said, “As members of Rivers Liberation Coalition of NGO’s, we are no longer comfortable with what is happening in Rivers State, wherein the executive governor of Rivers State and members of Rivers State House of Assembly has conscripted into not performing their executive and legislative functions without approval from the honourable Minister of the FCT, his Excellency Nyesom Wike.
“We cannot fold our arms and watch our dear governor continue to die in silence and shame, hence we have decided to rise up to help our governor to have a breath of fresh air having been surrounded by almost all officials of the immediate past administration who are there to monitor and give vital and classified state information to their paymaster who thinks that he can pocket Rivers State.”
“It is no longer news that the executive governor of Rivers State Sir Siminalayi Fubara was served with an impeachment notice on 30th October, 2023, barely five months into office and this is the first time in the history of Nigeria and Africa at large that such would be happening.
“This is as a result of total control and concessioning of the state powers into the hands of one man called Nyesom Wike, the honourable minister of the FCT.
President General of Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, Bar. Chizy Enyi, who urged Governor Fubara to take charge of the state as the youths were behind him, adding that the youths decided to throw their weight behind the governor, expressed sadness that following the unfortunate incident against the governor, no government official in the state had openly condemned it.
“We have seen that truly the governor is not much in charge because the governor said directly that there were attacks directly to his life and that was when he was at the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and we ask one pertinent question, how many of the state exco members did you see joining the governor to that place.
“If the governor is in charge, why none of his commissioners were there with him, where is the attorney-general when the life of the governor was threatened, the duty of the state is to protect lives and property and the attorney-general is the chief law officer of the state. What has the attorney-general said on this assembly rascality.
“How many local government chairmen did you see there that day that followed the governor on sympathy grounds. How many has condemned what has happened since Monday, that is to tell you that Governor Sim Fubara is truly not in charge.
“That is why the youths of Rivers State came out to say we are supporting him, imagine if not for the youths, in fact the dastard nature of what Martins Amaehwule led House of Assembly wanted to do was even to impeach the governor the same day without due process.
“We are not fighting Nyesom Wike or anybody, we are only supporting the governor to rise up to expectations, Rivers youths are with him, he shouldn’t continue to die in silence and shame because one man came to say he made Sim Fubara the governor.”
Convener, Ijaw Wari World-wide, Somina Wokoma, who called on the redeployment of the state Commissioner of Police and his deputy over their roles in the crisis that rocked the state assembly and the attack of the governor, dismissed claims that the impasse between Fubara and Wike was a family affair.
“The Inspector General of Police should without further delay redeploy the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, for their direct attack on the office of the governor of Rivers State.
“They said it is a family affair, if it is a family affair, the family have a way of handling issues, impeachment should have been the very last option.”
