The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has replied to the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, over his comment on Wednesday, warning that he would surprise his opponents.
At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Thursday, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC, Chief Tony Okocha, took a swipe at the governor over his comment, describing it as “another faux pas of Governor Fubara.”
He raised several questions over the governor’s comment during the “Thank You Visit” of members of the National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE.
Gov Fubara, in his address to the local government workers, warned his opponents in the intractable political crisis in the state, “If you dare me, I’ll surprise you,” among others.
But in what he called a rejoinder by the APC, the Caretaker Committee chairman observed that no comment from the Chairman of NULGE to the Governor warranted the Governor’s outburst.
He raised several questions in relation to the governor’s claim about the implementation of the Presidential Peace Pact based on his respect for the President, Bola Tinubu, wondering how the governor would claim to have “respect for one that you don’t obey.”
He observed that the Governor could not claim to be implementing the peace pact when he has left some issues on the 8-point pact, especially the points dealing with the re-presentation of the state 2024 budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly and the conduct of local government elections, saying that the blatant refusal to commence the process of local government elections “has been badly affected by the effusion of time going by the extant laws of Rivers State, particularly the laws prescribing elections into the Local Government Councils.”.
“Is the governor denying or about to deny his signature on that document, or as one of his ardent supporters who was present at the peace meeting lied to Nigerians, the governor signed the document under duress?
“Doesn’t this unprovoked outburst further support our assertion that it is Governor Fubara who mobilised his cronies to institute suits in law courts”, Chief Okocha queried.
He asserted, “If Governor Fubara’s warning of springing up unpleasant surprises, if daring, is to Mr President, then it is the highest height of insult to Mr President and his office.
“If the threat is to the Speaker and 26 other members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, who have been asserting their independence and making/promoting laws for the prosperity of Rivers State, then he goofs again.
“If his threat is targeted at the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State, which has sustained its role as the main opposition party in the state and been unequivocal and vehement in speaking for the mass of our people, including the down-trodden, then he misfired as usual. That threat is empty.
” If the threat is to his estranged benefactor, Nyesom Wike, the Honourable Minister of the FCT, then it will not be out of place to define him as an
ingrate”.
He declared that by the Presidential Peace Proclamation, which he, Gov. Fubara, willingly signed, he was not allowed to cherry-pick which clause to implement or not but that all must be fully implemented.
“We demand that peace is priceless and terror is senseless. Hence, Mr.Governor should drown the monotonous sounds of war, which he personally drums up.
“We demand that Mr Governor perish the thoughts and plans for another brand and round of grandstanding in wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money to crowds.
“We demand that the Governor show the minutest interest in governance and eschew the braggadocio in Much Ado about Nothing,” the APC Chairman stated.
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