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In this interview, the River State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, discusses the Rivers State crisis and his ongoing feud with his predecessor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, among other issues, with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
Three local government offices were burnt down in your state. What is your reaction to what has happened today?
I am just coming in from Akwa Ibom. We went to pay condolences to our brother who lost his wife. As I came in, I also received additional reports of what happened. It is really unfortunate. I need to say this so that everyone can hear from me directly. In the early hours of this morning, we heard of the incident in the Eleme Local Government Area where a section of the secretariat was burnt. We also saw a video circulating of the complete destruction of the Ikwerre Local Government Council secretariat. We received reports that some parts of Emohua Local Government Council were also destroyed. It is really unfortunate. Why do we need to do this? First of all, the election has come and gone. The winners of the elections have been sworn in. They have a duration, and after that, they will leave office. Why do you need to destroy government facilities? Things that were built with the council’s resources. You will be surprised to know that the Ikwerre Local Government Council that was destroyed was built by the immediate past council chairman. And I can tell you, that is his legacy project. Why would you go behind and destroy something that you did? Everybody knows in Nigeria that I have no hand in what is happening. We had an election. There was a protest that the legislature did not hold, but the election finally took place. We inaugurated the winners of the election, and you were also hearing people boasting. You could have heard it when I was inaugurating them. I heard that they were mobilizing 20 persons per ward so that they could go and demonstrate and cause mayhem. And this is a result of it. I can tell you on good authority that this might not be the only incident that has happened. I am aware that some local government councils have been marked for destruction. Why do we need to go this low? My meekness is not weakness. I understand that we don’t need to respond to violence with violence. Rivers State is our state. We need to protect the little things we have.
How did things degenerate this badly? Some would say that you and the former governor were once allies. What exactly is the cause of all this?
Honestly, I wouldn’t want to discuss it here, but we all know the issue. It is very simple. It has to do with power and control. I can even say that in this case, if elections have been held in Rivers State and council chairmen have been inaugurated, in a normal situation, do we even need anybody to obstruct them from entering the secretariat? Maybe there is someone somewhere who believes that they are above and beyond the authority in the state. It is just an issue of power. I tell you, my brother, I don’t intend to discuss it, and I don’t want to join issues with that. I want to focus on governance and manage the situation as much as I can. That is what is important to me.
Politically, there are those who say that for the man who brought you into office, there are understandings and agreements that you have. Why is it difficult for you to keep your side of the bargain since you assumed office?
I don’t think there is any understanding that I have not kept. I can say it here: there is no understanding that we have that I have not kept. That is the truth. Like I said, I honestly do not want to discuss those issues. What I am appealing for is that everyone should sheath their swords. Even to the Prime Minister, my boss, there is no need to destroy these things. He once ruled this state. The state was the envy of every other state. Another person is in charge now. What you need is to give support. After four years, or who knows, eight years, I will also leave, and another person will take over. That should be the spirit. When it comes to election periods, you can fight and do whatever, but now it is time for governance. We need all the support. We are here complaining that Nigeria has a problem—the reduction in our oil production. We are trying to improve our production levels. This is at the heart of where the problem lies. We are trying to manage it, and we are now adding in-house issues. These are in-house issues that ought not to come out.
The President has waded in today and said that all parties should sheath their swords and allow the courts to adjudicate the matter. Every arm should remain, and the IG should restore order in the state. What are your reactions to the President’s intervention?
I don’t have any issue with it, but I am a bit concerned that my name was the only one mentioned. Like I said, since it is coming from the President, I have no comment about it. This issue is very simple and straightforward. Everyone in Nigeria and Rivers State knows where this issue is coming from. It is not rocket science. We know what the issue is, and the issue is not Fubara. I believe strongly that with the recent intervention of the Inspector General of Police, maybe we will achieve relative peace. Perhaps the withdrawal of his men from those secretariats might be one of the reasons why they took advantage of the situation. But I would appeal that while the officers are there, the elected officials should also have the opportunity to do their work. At least, let them provide security for them, which is even what I was considering. I was never of the opinion that the Nigerian police should withdraw completely. No. When they said they were moving out, it gave the opportunity for these miscreants to take advantage and destroy the secretariats. I understand that. So I support that the police should come back and assist the elected officials to secure those councils because they are public property. We need to join hands together to protect them.
If there is one thing that could allow for peace, are you willing to do it, Governor Fubara?
If there is anything that I can do for peace, I assure you that I am willing to do it because peace is important to me. What is important to me is that things should be normal in our state. With all the problems we are facing, the wonderful jobs I am doing in this state are overshadowed by the crisis. It’s only when I come out and tell people that I am doing this or that you will hear, ‘You mean this is what is going on in the state?’ Because all anyone hears is one crisis or another. If it’s not from some members of this group, it’s from another group or from one security agency. Let me tell you, there is a report I just received that, due to what is happening, some citizens have already been marked for arrest because they are close to me. I would not be surprised if tomorrow you hear their names declared wanted.
It does seem like you had a premonition or some information about the attacks. What did you do with that information? Were you able to give it to security agencies to avert this kind of violence and disaster?
Yes. In the early hours of the morning, I received the signal that the IG had ordered that the police officers should withdraw from the secretariat. At that time, there was nothing I could have done because it was early morning. They took advantage of that time to cause some of the destruction we see here. I also spoke with the commissioner, who assured me that he would bring in the new person to discuss the way forward since he was already leaving. So I am trying to put some things in place, provided the new commissioner of police is willing to cooperate with me. I can assure you that all the issues will be sorted out. I need peace in this state. I don’t feel happy hearing every time Rivers State is in the news for bad reasons. It is not good.
Some imagine that you are the chief security officer of the state and have accused you of not being firm enough. Are you willing to take up that challenge tonight?
You already know the story. As governor and chief security officer, as written by the constitution, when you don’t have control over the security agencies, how can you ensure complete protection of life and property? I just said that I am praying that the new commissioner will give me all the cooperation we need to work together. If we are not talking about a formal security agency, that is a different matter. I don’t need to resort to informal security to secure the state. No, we are not a banana republic. We still need to put all our energy and support into relying on the Nigerian police and the office of the DSS for the protection of life and property in this state. I can assure you, I have all it takes. I have the guts. You have seen it in a few instances. I can do a lot. But overall, I also try to control what I do so that if I am asked anywhere why this action was taken, I can defend my actions.
There are those who believe that what happened over the weekend, where APP—a party that many think you supported through the back door because your party, according to you, does not have that kind of control—won 22 out of the 23 local government chairmanship seats. There are those who think you have crushed Wike’s structure and politically are now in the driver’s seat in Rivers State. Does that give you some confidence that it will help you politically to move forward?
When you talk about the issue of structure politically, I think we are getting it wrong. Rivers State was at a crossroads. The Supreme Court gave a judgment that all councils should transition to elected chairmen. Unfortunately, at that time, we were running on a caretaker basis. There is no way I wouldn’t conduct an election. As a matter of fact, we had an understanding after that ruling with the President, who gave us a window of 90 days to comply. The 90 days expire on the 31st of October. I needed to act. It is clear that there was no way an election would have been conducted in my party, considering the drama surrounding it. So I opted for something safer to secure the civil servants working in the local government and to ensure we have administrative officers to manage the affairs of the council. And that is what I did. So when it comes to the issue of structure, I don’t know what you are talking about. My focus is to ensure that the councils work effectively and that there are no problems in Rivers State because the way I saw it, it seemed like we were trying to cage the state, putting us in a situation where once it got to the 31st of October, Rivers State would not function regarding local government. So I had to take action, and that is the truth. It’s not an issue of APC, APP, or whatever. I still remain a member of the People’s Democratic Party.
But do you regret your action of using the APP as an SPV?
Not at all.
If you had the opportunity to do it again, would you?
I would do it again.
Your Excellency, can you tell Nigerians tonight who the leader of the PDP in Rivers State is?
I think I heard Chief Bode Judge just explain to you. I think that is one of the greatest problems we have here. I don’t know who the leader is. I am not contesting leadership with anybody. I just want peace in my state so that we can move ahead. Thank you.
Your Excellency, if you see Wike right now, what would you tell him?
I would tell him that it has come to a point where he needs to let go. We need peace in the state. You don’t necessarily need to win all the fights. Sometimes, you just let go for the sake of the good people of Rivers State and the love that you have always professed for the state. We need to secure the state. We don’t need to burn it down. Fubara will leave tomorrow. Who knows who will come next? Maybe through him or maybe through another person, but we need to keep the state intact.
Did you ever think that this could happen with your political godfather when you were running for this office?
If I had received any sign of it, I wouldn’t have been here. That is the truth. There was no sign of it. And that is why I followed this course to this point.
So from your perspective, you are not the cause, and you are a willing follower of Governor Wike, but you believe you are in a difficult situation that will not allow you to do your job well. Is that the situation?
I need to run the government that I promised on the 29th of May before the Rivers people. And that is what I am doing now.”
