The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has declared that he has no intention of preventing the Rivers State House of Assembly from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities.
Speaking at a Thanksgiving/Civic Reception in Abalama, Asari-Toru Local Government Area, on Saturday.
Wike said he had anticipated the ongoing political turmoil in the state and had advised Governor Siminalayi Fubara on how to handle it.
However, according to him, the governor chose to ignore his counsel and instead surrounded himself with individuals he described as “ungrateful.”
He criticised Fubara for allegedly withholding the salaries and allowances of the 27 lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule, believing that those advising him had assured him that there would be no consequences.
Wike, who governed Rivers State before Fubara, stated that his only offence was urging the governor to take care of those who had supported his election rather than abandoning them after assuming office.
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Recalling the events leading up to the state’s governorship primaries, Wike claimed that Fubara had initially declined to contest and instead suggested former Commissioner of Finance Isaac Kamalu for the position.
“All the local government chairmen, assembly members, and National Assembly representatives worked hard to get you elected. I only advised you not to neglect them. Was that a crime?” Wike questioned.
He dismissed accusations that he was demanding financial favours from the governor, stating, “They claim I’m always asking for money. What money? Has the money come?”
Wike further accused Fubara’s allies of exploiting state resources while contributing nothing meaningful.
He warned the governor that those advising him had misled him into thinking that power and money were enough to navigate the crisis.
Reflecting on the state’s ongoing development projects, he asserted that many, including the Ring Road project, were conceived during his administration and handed over to Fubara.
He challenged the governor to name any initiative he had personally introduced.
“You can insult me all you want; it doesn’t bother me. Insults don’t kill. What matters is the outcome. Who is suffering from high blood pressure now? Certainly not me,” Wike quipped.
He criticized the decision to withhold lawmakers’ salaries for over a year, arguing that it left them unable to support their families.
He noted that Fubara’s supporters had reassured him that no repercussions would follow, yet the situation had now escalated.
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Emphasising the independence of the legislature, Wike insisted that the House of Assembly must be allowed to operate freely.
“The Assembly must be allowed to perform its constitutional functions. Those who genuinely seek peace do not resort to threats,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Assembly recently adjourned its sittings indefinitely, just days before Governor Fubara was scheduled to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill on March 19.
