By: Felix Ikpotor
Following the unabating political crisis rocking Rivers State, a group, Coalition of Rivers State Elders and Leaders of Thoughts, CORSLOT, has accused the Presidency led by President Bola Tinubu of deliberately keeping mum in the face of the crisis to favour his appointee, Nyesom Wike.
Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and now Federal Capital Territory Minister has been having a running battle with his benefactor and current governor of the state, Sir Siminialayi Fubara.
Convener of CORSLOT, Chief Sunnie Chukumele while briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt said the Presidency is keeping quite over the situation in the state while supporting an individual against the interest of over eight million Rivers people.
It also accused the president of supporting Wike to capture and annex Rivers State to himself.
Chukumele accused Wike and his foot soldiers of being responsible for the crisis plaguing the state.
CORSLOT noted that, “Since October 2023, the world has witnessed cascading events and the concerted onslaught against the government and governor of Rivers State.
“Rivers people are surprised that even after the intervention of the President of Nigeria with the supposed political solution to the problem through the Abuja Peace Accord which though skewed against an elected governor and leader of the State, and even the Rivers State governor’s painful sacrifices for the sake of peace, tranquility and development of our dear state, this problem instead of
abating is being exacerbated. It has become empirically evident that those at the frontline against the government and governor of our dear State are relentlessly fighting in proxy on behalf of our former governor, and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike”.
The group named those spearheading the crisis to be Martin Amaewhule, former local council chairman and Chief Tony Okocha, ousted Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state.
“The canon fodders and mercenaries in this war of attrition against Rivers State have remained the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule who led his team out of the political party on whose platform they won election to another, thereby losing their seats as legislators.
“Another set of actors and anarchists fighting hard to destabilize our dear State are the immediate past Chairmen of Local Governments in the State whose tenures elapsed on the 17th of June 2024. These men are still parading themselves as Local Government Chairmen in Rivers State till date.
“Just within the period of a National Protest, the factional Chairman of APC in the State, Tony Okocha who is also a political appointee of Mr. President came up with a heinous and spurious accusation that the government of Rivers Sate sponsored the protests,” he said.
In the wake of all these, the group said, “We are therefore compelled to state as follows: That after a careful analysis of the situation we accuse the Presidency of selective amnesia and inaction in the happenings in Rivers Sate with the tacit support to their colleague and Minister of the FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike to achieve his aim of State capture in order to annex and control Rivers State and her resources.
“That the Presidency under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is willy-lilly in sympathy and support of his Minister of the FCT against the people of Rivers State.
“That Mr. President is more interested in an individual than more than 8 million citizens and not less than 3 million Rivers voters.
‘And that Rivers people are shocked that there have not been any convincing and deterring actions of the security and intelligence community on the conflicts in the State. A recent account is the armed invasion of legitimate activities of Care Taker Chairmen in Ikwerre and Obio/Akpor Local Governments.
“That Rivers people wonder why it is only those who are on the appointments of President Tinubu that are attacking the governor and government of Rivers State in concert with their acolytes in the former members of the State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule, and also the recalcitrant immediate past Chairmen of Local Governments. That this is a very clear evidence of Conspiracy Theory.”
Chukumele added: “That this conspiracy looks certainly geared towards the removal of the
governor of Rivers State by every means possible and install an administrator to act on behalf of the Minister of the FCT. This is a recipe for catastrophe and ethnic war in Rivers State. This must be averted, Mr. President.
The group urged the president to act like a father that he is.
