Rivers Crisis: Ijaw Cannot Sacrifice Fubara, Says Monarch

The traditional ruler of Abuloma Kingdom in Rivers State, King Bright Ateke Fibionumama, has said the Ijaw nation will not sacrifice their son and governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, in the face of the ongoing political crisis in the state.

Fibionumama stated this yesterday while addressing members and executives of the Eastern Zone of the Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), who visited him in his palace in Port Harcourt.

The monarch said, “You know that there are gods and there are spirits. Some gods are wicked, but the Ijaw gods do not take their children for sacrifice. You gave us somebody and we voted massively for him and now you are coming to give us our child to sacrifice, no way.

“No matter the trap you want to set, no matter the politics you want to play, you can never give our child to us as a sacrificial lamb. But, if we accept that, it means our son will die and if our son dies, we will not have a son like him again. In Ijaw land, we don’t betray ourselves.

“In Rivers State, election is over. We have a governor and they should allow him to breath and anything that will make our governor not to breath, we will not accept. We, the Abuloma people have taken a position, there is no vacancy in Government House.”

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In his address, MOSIEND president-general, Dr Kennedy West, called on all political actors involved in the ongoing crisis in the state, to allow Fubara, to concentrate on governance.

West said: “The essence of the visit is to deepen understanding between the elders, the kings, the subjects and the people of the state.

We are all aware of the impasse that is going on in the state; it does not tell good about the state.

“As a group that has been known for advocacy of justice, equity, fairness and peace in the region, we have taken a position and that position is that we are going to mobilise every other ethnic nationalities within the state to give more support to the governor we all elected within this trial period.

“Also, we are here to consult our royal father, who equally double as patron of MOSIEND, to seek his advice and counsel on how best to approach this.

“The people of Rivers State, irrespective of tribe, irrespective of ethnicity are solidly behind His Excellency, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to continue in the good job that he is doing. Those who are not comfortable with his leadership style should have a rethink.

“They should understand that one good turn deserves another. When other ethnic groups were in power, we gave them all the support irrespective of their weaknesses, which we did not take to public.

“So, we expect that Rivers State should be peaceful and the governor should be allowed to govern without being distracted by anybody,” he said.