Rivers State governor Siminalayi Fubara has declared that he is not fighting anybody, but only defending the state against predators and against those who feel that they own the life of others.
He said some youths were hired to engage in a protest to demand for extension of tenure of former local government chairmen who have served out their statutory three-year tenure.
The governor also accused supporters of the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, of attempting to detonate an explosive device at the Hotel Presidential, a five-star hotel in Port Harcourt.
He alleged that the attempt was part of a deliberate ploy to strengthen the call for a state of emergency by haters who want to undermine the state to achieve their evil plans.
Fubara spoke yesterday when he received on courtesy visit, a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its chairman, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, at Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fubara stated that the protesters and their sponsors were aware that some honourable members of the National Assembly were guests at the Hotel Presidential, which was why they attempted to detonate an explosive device near the facility in order to give reason to support the call for state of emergency when the matter is raised at plenary but they failed.
The governor said, “As a matter of fact, let me tell you, I know of everything that is happening. Yesterday (Tuesday), they (protesters) were aware that you are in the state. So, there was an attempt to create serious problem.
„In fact, there was a plan to detonate dynamite at the Hotel Presidential because you people were there. But this God that we serve, it happened that the man who was trying to do it, detonated it but just few seconds after, it blew his hands off.
„The idea was that as you were hearing state of emergency, it will be so that by the time they finish, when you return to have your sitting tomorrow (Thursday), the debate will be from somebody from this State who called you people to tell you not to come.
„He will now raise issue of state of emergency, and say after all, distinguished colleagues saw it happen while you were in Rivers State, that you saw what happened.
„But you see, when you are with God, even your own child who is planning evil, will go and tell somebody that, God is with this man because he is clean, this is what my father is planning. That is what is keeping us in this state.“
He wondered why it seems that the law is silent or inactive to take its course over offenders because somebody appears to be bigger than the law on the agitation, because there is nowhere in the country where tenure elongation for former local government chairmen has been an issue.
Fubara clarified that he is not fighting anybody but rather defending the state against predators, and protecting supporters of the interest of Rivers State against those who feel that they own the life of others.
The governor pointed out that there is no governor in Nigeria who can take 10 percent of the abuse railed at him by former local government council chairmen.
He stated that he has taken those insults and attacks in his strides without going hard at the purveyors because their plan is to distract him, stressing that he has remained focused on delivering good governance and democratic dividends to Rivers‘ people.
Fubara said, „Where on earth can tenure of local government chairmen be elongated. You were a former governor, was it tried in your time? Even those of you who are Senators here, even in your own states, have anyone tried this before?
In his address, Senator Kalu said they were in Rivers State to carry out oversight duties on some projects under their purview.
Kalu, who is the member representing Abia North Senatorial District, commended Governor Fubara for his love for peace and determination to offer quality governance and keep pace with providing the right climate to engender economic growth to all residents in the state.
He urged Wike to sheath the sword, and call his supporters to order as a commitment to fostering peace and putting the interest of the state above all considerations.
