Following the recent allegations of masterminding the burning of the State House of Assembly Complex in October 2023, as leveled against Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, among others by the immediate past Head of Service in the state, Dr George Nwaeke as well as the emergency rule declared by President Bola Tinubu, the people of Dappaye-Amakiri Community-Opobo, in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state have described the allegations as untrue, baseless and calculated attempt to tarnish the good image of the Governor.
In a press briefing on the happenings in the state in Port Harcourt recently, Paramount Ruler of the Community, His Royal Highness, Alabo Dagogo Fubara, described the allegations as cooked plots, false, undemocratic, and the pigment of the imagination of Dr Nwaeke and his paymasters.
Alabo Fubara stressed that such allegations are purely to ignite an unquenchable fire of displeasure in the state just for the former Head of Service’s stomach infrastructure from his paymasters to come to reality.
He said, “Since the birth of Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, 50 years ago till date, there has not been any criminal records anywhere in the whole world involving the people’s Governor, talk less of terrorism charges or cases against him. Siminalayi Fubara remains an easy-going and peace crusader in the Community and any fora, he found himself. Therefore, anyone accusing or insinuating that the Governor is a terrorist remains an enemy of the state and her people”.
The monarch, therefore, appealed to Nigerians and Rivers people in particular to disregard the allegations.
” This is the pigment of imagination of the sponsors as plotted by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and their paymasters, and was dramatized by Dr George Nwaeke for his stomach sake.
Also lending credence, a former Chief of Staff to Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State and kinsman of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Warisenibo Christopher Jackson Fubara, has criticized Dr George Nwaeke’s leveled allegations against Governor Siminalayi Fubara of master-minded the burning of the hallowed Chambers of the State House of Assembly in October, 2023.
Fubara described the allegations as false, premature, and unacceptable defamation of the character of the Governor.
He maintained that such a statement remains politically motivated, ill-advised, and ill-conceived, as demanded by his paymasters, who, he said, never wish the state and her people well.
“As far as we are concerned, no man born of a woman can intimidate our proud son on the guise of political maneuvering. Siminalayi Fubara is and would not be known or heard to be a criminal, even before he joined the Rivers State Civil Service. It is pathetic and irresponsible for anyone to accuse him of funding the so-called burnt down State Assembly.
If such records were there, how then could previous administrations, even the immediate past governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, appoint him Permanent Secretary and later Accountant-General of the state? Is it not the same Wike who is now dramatizing and making fun of himself by using George Nwaeke as a tool to cause pandemonium in the state?
“We still stand our ground to state categorically that our indefatigable proud son and leader is far from the accusation of sponsoring the burning down of the State House of Assembly as claimed by Dr George Nwaeke in order to be offered peanuts. Nwaeke, Nyesom Wike, and Bola Tinubu should realize that what goes up, must surely and certainly come down”.
“By so doing, we hereby absolve our son and Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS of all the allegations as perpetrated by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and others”.
“We used this opportunity to warn perpetrators of these dastardly acts against an innocent and peace-loving man in order to undermine him should be prepared for the looming consequences that awaits them in no distance time.
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He enjoined President Bola Tinubu to stop taking sides in the political crisis rocking the state. Rather, he should question his FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the embattled Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Martins Amaewhule, and their cronies about the incident.
“There is need to question Nyesom Wike, Martins Amaewhule and their cronies of how the hallowed Chambers of the State Assembly was burnt, and not our son, Governor Siminalayi Fubara”, Warisenibo Christopher Fubara declared.
However, the people of Dappaye-Amakiri Community-Opobo also urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently reverse the proclamation of emergency rule in Rivers State and immediately reinstate an elected Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, his Deputy, Prof Ngozi Odu, and members of the State House of Assembly to resume their constitutional duties without interference.
In a related development, the people of Dappaye-Amakiri Community-Opobo have commended Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, for executing numerous development projects without obtaining loans from any financial institutions.
The Community gave the commendation recently in Port-Harcourt, when they paid a solidarity homage to the Governor.
“There was never a time, our son, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State approached any institution, be it political or financial, to seek permission to borrow money to execute projects as experienced during the administration of his predecessor and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike,” they affirmed.
This, according to the people is worth of commendation considering the myriad of people-oriented development projects the Governor had executed so far across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state within one year in governance of Rivers State.
Responding, Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, thanked the people of Dappaye-Amakiri Community-Opobo for the visit, reaffirming his administration’s resolve and commitment to providing quality leadership, which the people of the state yearned for.
Fubara stressed that his administration is out to build better development bridges for the people and not to siphon their resources, thereby subjecting them to more in hardship, poverty, suffering, joblessness, insecurity, and other dreaded misrepresentations.
He admonished them to embrace peace and tranquility at all times for a blissful governance.
