I’m willing to give up my office for peace in Rivers — Fubara
Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State said he is willing to give up his office for a lasting peace to reign in the state.
Fubara stated this in an interview with AIT on Thursday.
He said, “No sacrifice will be too big for me to pay for the success of this administration. The reason is very simple, it is not political love. It is not because I want to gain any favour from anybody. My interest and love for our dear state is genuine.“I’m not trying to say I want to be one man that will be there to decide the fate of all, no. But let Rivers State remain.
“My burden wasn’t the issue of all the drama. It is the millions of Rivers people who had made sacrifices, who are seeing opportunity, and it looks as if their hopes are being dashed.
“They were the ones I was worried about. What would be their fate? That was my trouble. It is not about me.”
The Rivers governor further stated, “If leaving this position is what I need or what is needed to bring more peace in this state, I can even tell the people to come and take it. It is not about me. People should understand that definitely I’m here, I will go, but Rivers State will still remain.
“I am the governor. No matter what it is, there are things I could have done and there would have been a total crisis, but the ability to restrain in the face of crisis when you have the power to do things is maturity.”
Recall that Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been at loggerheads over the control of power in the state.
In the wake of the crisis in the state House of Assembly, the political rift between Wike and Fubara split lawmakers in the House, with 27 of them decamping from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party in whose central government Wike currently serves as minister.
The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.
The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October, but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.
But, after some weeks of crisis in the state, the political gladiators in Rivers reached a truce on Monday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Villa in Abuja.
The meeting had Fubara, Wike, the ex-Rivers governor, Peter Odili; and some traditional rulers from the state in attendance.
Vice President Kashim Shettima; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, were also part of the meeting.
However, after a series of meetings, the warring parties agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, be withdrawn immediately.
Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule and other parties in the crisis signed the agreement. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also signed the document.
The Wike camp also agreed that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly be dropped immediately
The parties in the feud resolved to recognise the leadership of Martin Amaewhule in the Rivers State House of Assembly and not that of Edison Ehie.
The two camps agreed to recognise Amaewhule and his 26 allies who recently resigned from the PDP to the APC.
