Wike insisted that the Rivers State saga was a fight to maintain the political structure in the state
By Kehinde Okeowo
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has refuted claims that the political impasse in Rivers State arose because the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara refused to give him
25 per cent of the state’s money.
The former governor made this known when a delegation of the Rivers Caucus in the 10th National Assembly, comprising three senators and 11 members of the House of Representatives, visited him in Abuja.
A crisis erupted in the state last weekend after some members of the Rivers Assembly attempted to impeach the incumbent governor.
Speaking on the development during the visit, Wike said those accusing him are ignorant of what he truly wanted, insisting he is only fighting to retain the political structure in the state.
He said: “I was governor for eight years. I am now FCT Minister, and some will say that I am asking for 25 per cent. That is madness. I am not interested in the governance of Rivers; I am not interested. I am here as a governor in FCT, but I am interested in the political structure of Rivers, which we have built over the years.
“If anybody dares to bring it down, the person will face the crisis he wants in his life. Perform or don’t perform, but don’t touch our political structure. Anybody who puts his hand in our structure, anything you see, take it,”
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He went on to advise the members of the federal legislative houses representing his state to always listen whenever they are corrected.
The FCT minister further urged them not to disappoint the people of the state but to work as a team for the good of the people of Rivers.
“When you make mistakes, we will call you and tell you that you are making a mistake. Take it in good faith that we are calling your attention because we think that you are derailing.
“But when we call you, don’t say we are expecting a kickback of 25 per cent from you or so and so per cent. All of us are one. We’ve built this political structure for a long time, since 2015, and we have emerged victorious.
“As the opposition party, from 2015, I saw hell. The Federal Government fought me left, right, and centre, but with your support, we survived. When you work as a team, you’ll discover that it is difficult for an outsider to defeat you at home,” Wike added.
