FULL TEXT: 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐑. 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐍𝐖𝐄𝐊𝐄 (𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐑, 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄)

My dear People of Rivers state, it is with humility and every sense of responsibility that I stand to address you today as your former head of service. 

You would recall that I was appointed as the head of service by our suspended governor, Gov Siminilayi Fubara, let me also use this opportunity to appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to serve as the Head of Service.

With the loads of misinformation on print and electronic media, I have chosen to put the record straight, I was not sacked neither was I pressured to resign, I did it willingly from the depth of my heart, however as an insider and a key player in this administration by my position, who worked closely with Siminilayi Fubara, it will be unfair for me to keep silent or not to address some key factors that has affected or will affect our state if we continue on this trajectory. 

I want to use this medium to thank Mr. President for a swift intervention in Rivers State crisis especially on the state of emergency that was declared and assented to by the National Assembly.

You will recall that when the governor was suspended, as the head of service I was the next in command so I am not speaking from outside, I am speaking as an insider. If not for the intervention of Mr. President Nigeria would have faced the worst economic sabotage and Rivers State would have been up in flames.

First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly were the Governor, Siminilayi Fubara directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the assembly in a way to avert his impeachment, that evening Edison was in government house with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA one Chijioke. I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside.

I want to tell Rivers people today that the house of assembly complex in Moscow Road was clearly brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Gov Siminilayi Fubara, I challenge him to an open confrontation and I will throw more light on it. A day after that incident, I almost resigned but I was very scared because I know the power of a sitting governor and he knew that I am aware of the whole plan and that I am discomforted with the unconscionable act and deliberate posture of innocence and mien of a sheep. 

Another attempt was also made to destroy the residential quarters of the house of assembly members if not for the press conference that was made there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.

I came to realize that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because after some weeks, he personally told me that if he knew early he would have gone to pull down their hall before visiting the residential quarters of the assembly and that he didn’t actually know that they had such a beautiful hall were they are using now for their sitting, I was shocked and I asked myself how could a man that wants to lead his people be destroying his state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight.

Thirdly I want to advice some key stakeholders who has condemned the state of emergency made by the President and confirmed by the National Assembly to retract their statements, I also understand that they are only seeing the surface. If the President did not take proactive step, no one knows who would have been affected by the sinister plans that were cooking. 

While I thank Mr. president for the state of emergency that was declared in Rivers State for a period of 6months, I will plead with him not to give up on Rivers State affairs because a lot are going on there with governor Fubara. One of the factors that got me removed was when governor Fubara told me that they will use the Ijaws to decide who will become the next president of Nigeria and I asked him how will that work? Is it by votes or by what means? 

He clearly told me that he is the chief security officer of Rivers State and his brother is in charge of Bayelsa State and all the pipelines are under their care that at the appropriate time they will tell the boys what to do and fund was not an issue. That was why when he made that statement in his public function that “I will tell the boys what to do at the appropriate time” I knew something was up and perhaps the time was near.

He boasted to be the “David that will bring down the Goliath of Rivers State.” That he has the backing of the cream-de-la cream in the state. The likes of Dr. Peter Odili and family promised to use their contacts in the judiciary including some members of their University Council to break new ground for him.

The plan was to start from non-Ijaw speaking areas to destroy oil facilities to remove attention from the Ijaw and make it have a statewide look. . The Ogoni, Oyibo, Ahoda areas were to be bombed first before the Ijaw zones. This would have brought down the government of President Tinubu and usher in a new President from the coalition of political parties with a Vice President from the Ijaws.

The media was to be captured by paying heavily for airtime and retaining the social media influencers and known social critics in their payroll. I am not unaware of what this revelation means but I am doing this to free my conscience and warn those innocent persons that are used to sway public sentiment, that there is more than meet the eyes in the Rivers matter.

Sometime, I sleep over in government house but I started being uncomfortable when Gov. Bala Mohammed and some other stakeholders started nocturnal visits to Rivers State. I recalled after one of such visits he told me that he will support Bala Mohammed for president or any other northerner. That discussion are ongoing. Though, I was not bothered about who he support but I was more concerned about the quantum of state resources that he releases to theses visitors at each visit.

Let me also draw the attention of Nigeria Labour Congress to call the Chairman of their Rivers State chapter to order to avoid politicizing Labour. I am privy to several private meetings between the Governor and the Labour leader in the state and the largesse that accompanied each meeting to compromise the Labour Union.

More worrisome is several meetings between the governor, his chief of staff and some militant leaders. The details of which meetings I am not privy to since I was not allowed into the meetings. However, each meeting ended with huge sum of money paid to attendees.

I wish to state categorically that Rivers people and indeed Nigerians are the beneficiary of the declaration of state of emergency rule in Rivers State and not Gov. Fubara or Minister Wike. 

Finally, I wish to call on Mr. President to urge the Sole Administrator to step up his guards and be very vigilant because I am aware of the sinister arrangement and dastardly plans to continue to hatch their plans if not put in check. This account for the organized media condemnations and seeming public outcry against Mr. President and National Assembly.

Those who love democracy and humanity will always protect humanity and democracy. Mr. President, you have just protected democracy and humanity in Rivers State. I can now sleep with my conscience clear.

Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria

Long Live Rivers State

Dr. George Nweke

(Former, Head of Service, Rivers State)