*Fmr Gov says looting Rivers wealth behind Wike/Fubara fight
By Didimoko A. Didimoko
A former Governor of Rivers State and defeated APC presidential aspirant, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has lampooned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for sacking the elected governor and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Amaechi, who lost to Tinubu in the contest for the APC ticket in 2023, said the president acted outside his constitution powers with the declaration of a state of emergency and he appointment of an administrator for the state.
He also described the tussel between suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, as a fight for control of the state’s resources, lamenting that people no longer oppose corruption.
In an interview with Dutch media network DW Africa, Amaechi accused the President of putting political interests above those of the state and its citizens
“The president acted outside the Constitution. According to Section 188, a governor can leave office through death, resignation, or impeachment. Nowhere does it state that the president can arbitrarily remove a sitting governor. This threatens the stability of our democracy.
“There are rumors that any governor who does not align with the president could be removed. The Rivers situation is about money and the 2027 elections. If the president declared a state of emergency over a pipeline explosion, what about other regions battling severe insecurity?
“Does that mean the president himself should be removed for failing to secure the country? Security is the president’s responsibility, not the governor’s. Why punish a man for something beyond his control?” he argued.
He urged the people of Rivers State to resist the emergency rule and protest against the president’s decision.
“The fight between the current governor of Rivers State and the FCT minister is about sharing money. Otherwise, what is the disagreement really about? Nigerians no longer seem to oppose corruption. I haven’t seen anyone demanding answers on the streets. Can both of them come forward and explain the real issue to the public?” Amaechi questioned.
It would be recalled that Fubara was recalled after a series of crises between his administration and the State House of Assembly, which was bombed by yet unknown persons following a report that they planned to impeach the governor.
A former Head of Services of the state, Dr George Nwaeke, sensationally claimed on Friday that the governor ordered the bombing of the assembly complex, as well as attacks on crude oil pipelines across the state.
The governor ran into trouble with the lawmakers, 27 of whom are believed to be loyalists of Wike’s, when he presented the 2024 and 2025 budgets of the 31-member house to 3 lawmakers sympathetic to his cause in the political tussle.
The passage of other key government appointees, including commissioners and aides were also passed, expeditedly, by the four lawmakers, who chose their colleague, Victor Oko-Jumbo as their Speaker.
The plot of the minority lawmakers and Governor Fubara collapsed in February when the Supreme Court declared the action of the governor illegal, null and void. The local government council election that was hurriedly conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, was also annulled.
