Dr. George Nweke, the former Head of Service of Rivers State, has accused the suspended Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, of being behind the destruction of oil pipelines and the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.
Nweke made these allegations during a press conference in Abuja, following his removal from office by the state’s Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibom Ete Ibas.
Nweke, who expressed gratitude to Fubara for appointing him to his administration, stated that he chose to speak out to correct misinformation circulating in the media.
He noted that he was not dismissed from his position but resigned voluntarily. However, he believed it would be wrong to remain silent about issues that could negatively impact the state.
Nweke said: “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 wanted to demolish that second building because, after some weeks, he told me that if he had known early he would have gone to pull down their hall before visiting the residential quarters of the assembly and that he didn’t 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.”
The former HoS urged leaders of the Niger Delta region to support the Emergency Rule declared in the state, adding that the governor and some other Ijaw leaders sponsored the bombing of some oil facilities in the state.
“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 6 months, I will plead with him not to give up on Rivers State affairs because a lot is 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 would become the next president of Nigeria and I asked him how 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 their family promised to use their contacts in the judiciary including some members of their University Council to break new ground for him.
Nweke said: “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, and Ahoda areas were to be bombed first before the Ijaw zones. This would have brought down the government of President Tinubu and ushered in a new President from the coalition of political parties with a Vice President from the Ijaws.
“Sometime, I sleep over in the 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 would support Bala Mohammed for president or any other northerner. That discussion is ongoing. Though I was not bothered about who he supported I was more concerned about the quantum of state resources that he released to these visitors at each visit.
“Let me also draw the attention of the 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 a 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 a state of emergency rule in Rivers State and not Gov. Fubara or Minister Wike.
