The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has described the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, as the architect of the recent violence in the state, because of his decision not to obey court order, which declared the local government elections in the State as illegal.
Wike, who disclosed this on Tuesday night while speaking on Channels Television’s current affairs programme ‘Politics Today’, described the action of the Rivers State governor as an abuse of rule of law, which has resulted to the crisis in the state.
He also faulted the governor for setting up a panel of judicial inquiry to probe the attendant killings and violence in the state, since he claimed to know the cause of the problem, describing Fubara’s action as a waste of time.
“There is no decent person, no person who believes in the peace and stability of any nation that will say he wants to support violence, that will say that you want to support destruction, and that will say that he do not want people to live in harmony.
“But what is important is that when there is violence, when there is instability, it is for you to ask question. ‘What has led to that violence? What has led to instability? What has led to destruction, if at all?’ It is very key.
“I have said, I was a governor. I have always obeyed the rule of law. You have heard the governor said that our state is turning to a state of anarchy where people do not obey the rule of law,” the FCT Minister stated.
Explaining obedience to rule of law, he said: “It is respect. It is obeying the judgement of God. It is not taking the law into your hands. It does not matter how you see that judgement.
“The moment you do not obey court’s judgement, you are inviting anarchy. You are inviting violence. Was that destruction done before now?”
“The point we are making is that a governor on national television, not local television, to tell the world, I will not obey court’s judgement,” he pointed out.
The immediate-past governor of Rivers State, while speaking on what should be done for peace to reign in the state, said that Governor Fubara should learn to obey the rule of law.
“It is about our nation. If today a court gives a judgement, not an order, a judgement, I say, look, this is what we will do. You have gone on appeal.
“You went on appeal, which means you are aware that there was a judgement against this. And you have gone on appeal. You do not want to be patient.
“To follow the due process. Let appeal come up to say this and that and that. You come into national television and say, ‘I will not obey’.
“It is a fraudulent judgement. I have never seen that in my life. Where anybody can come out because judgement is against you or it’s not in your favour,” Wike added.
