By Ayo Kehinde
Former Rivers Governor, Rufus Ada-George and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Minister have differed on who orchestrated the declaration of a state of emergency and the contentious appointment of sole administrators across all 23 local government areas in the State.
Ada-George who served as Rivers governor from 1992 to 1993 and currently leads the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, accused the Minister of the arrowhead of the crisis in the state.
His comments follow the controversial appointment of local government administrators by Rivers Administrator, Rtd Vice Admiral Ibok Ette-Ibas.
Speaking during a media briefing in Port Harcourt, he accused Wike of masterminding the current political crisis after failed plans to impose his political agenda on the state.
Ada-George stated that the FCT Minister “could ignite unrest in states where governors oppose his views. That is precisely what I believe he is attempting to do in Rivers State”, he added.
The former Governor highlighted Sunday’s visit of Wike to Port Harcourt before the new appointments were made by the Rivers Administrator on Wednesday.
Rejecting the appointments, George declared them unconstitutional and a threat to democratic governance.
“The appointment of sole administrators is unconstitutional. There are established legal procedures for forming local government leadership, and this action undermines those principles”, he said.
The former Governor also disclosed that the Rivers Elders Forum had written to both Governor Siminalayi Fubara and former Governor Wike at the beginning of the crisis, but neither responded.
“We did communicate in writing to both the warring parties… but unfortunately, we didn’t have the courtesy of receiving a reply from any of them”, he added.
While expressing the forum’s commitment to peaceful resolution, the elder statesman cautioned that Rivers’ people would not sit idly by in the face of continued provocation.
“We cannot go physical… but we will resist in any form that will attempt to disrupt or disorganise this state. We hoped he would consult with stakeholders for peacebuilding, to calm tensions, and to resolve the issues between the two parties—not escalate them”, he said.
George reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to lawful processes and legal redress.
“We will go to court where necessary. We have cases in court at the moment, and we will continue”, he said.
Responding, Wike, through his Media Abuser, Lere Olayinka said the former governor was playing to the gallery.
Olayinka, in a statement on Thursday, described as funny and unfortunate that a former Governor of Rivers State, Ada George, who was among those clapping for Fubara, when he was sitting on the salary and other entitlements of fellow indigenes of Rivers State, who are members of the State House of Assembly is now speaking on who should be blamed for the state of emergency in the State.
He said; “When Fubara was orchestrating the burning and demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly, supposed elders like Ada George were hailing him. They were telling him it was normal for three members to run a House of Assembly of 32 members, with 11 as quorum of one-third that can sit and 22 as two-third that can pass budgets.
“When the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, intervened in the crisis and resolutions signed by all parties, it was this same Ada George that described the President’s intervention as ‘executive rascality.’
“He (Ada George) went further to say that the intervention by the President ‘contravened the doctrine and practice of separation of powers and unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’ They were everywhere calling the President a meddlesome interloper and hailing Fubara.
While telling Ada George and his Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum to blame themselves for taking side when they should be neutral, Olayinka said; “the moment an elder takes side in a conflict between two children, such an elder has lost the rights to intervene and resolve the conflict.”
