By: Felix Ikpotor
Following the ongoing hostilities in the political scene in Rivers State, governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the March 2023 elections in the state, Chief Beatrice Itubo has called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike to sheathe their swords.
Itubo who stated this during a media briefing in Port Harcourt said the call for peace has become necessary due to the negative impact the political war is bringing to the state.
Itubo who is the immediate past chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress , NLC, in the state said the impact of the political war is now telling on businesses in the state as investors are now moving out to places where the political atmosphere is calm.
She called on the FCT Minister to forgive any grievances he may have and the governor to also call his supporters to order.
She also clarified that her recent visit to the governor was her own effort in brokering peace in the face of the political turmoil in the state.
“This state is our collective heritage that was bequeathed to us from the selfless struggles of our founding fathers so we must not continue to allow this tension and fear to mount in our dear state because as it’s raging now, investors, business owners are beginning to move from our state to safer places, holiday seekers are no longer coming into our state, the hotels are empty, other businesses are beginning to feel the impact of the troubles that’s going on.
“If we don’t as neutral persons, reach out to this gladiators and their fans now, a time will come when we would no longer be safe going out of our houses because of fear of being caught in the crossfire of the burgeoning hostilities.
“May I as a mother and a stakeholder in the governance of this state appeal to the immediate past governor of the state and current minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike to as a matter of urgency and as a father to immediately leave whatever grievances he may have against the governor (Siminalayi Fubara), the governor too on his own part, caution his fans to stop further comments on and off social media to may tend to exacerbate the already tensed situation in the state,” she said.
The Labour Party guber candidate urged Fubara to engage more mediators to help him resolve the crisis rather than listening to hypocrites.
“The governor should engage more mediators and peacemakers to help also to quell this situation. What we are seeing now are hypocrites who come to the governor, say a thing and go to the minister to say another thing.
“We must all understand that in all, we do not have any other state than Rivers State and the interest of Rivers State should supercede whatever personal interest anyone of us have so we must make sacrifices for our continued peace and development”, she stated.
On her visit to the governor, she said:” It’s no longer news that I visited the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara a few days ago. That visit was part of my sincere intervention from the governor’s own end in the political turbulence in our dear state.
“The mere fact that I contested the governorship against Sim is not enough reasons that I fold my arms and do nothing when I see my own dear state on the verge of destruction out of resolvable issues”.
