The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Friday alleged that the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was behind the burning of the chambers of the state House of Assembly that occurred on October 29 to prevent his impeachment by lawmakers.
This is just as he said he does not like an ingrate in the mould of Fubara.
Wike spoke during a media chat aired on the African Independent Television (AIT) on Friday, monitored.
The Minister, who was responding to questions on whether or not he masterminded impeachment moves against the governor, said Fubara should have rather confronted him on the issue, than send people to “burn the hallowed chambers of the dtate Assembly, ” adding that Fubara had also raised ethnic politics in the state, which had never happened before.
“If they are impeaching you, did you call me? Assuming I’m the one who plotted it, did you say ‘Sir, they want to impeach me’?
“Is that why you will go and send people to burn the hallowed chambers? Is impeachment done in one day? Is it a one-day affair? Then, you raised ethnic politics. We have never had it like this before,” he said.
Wike also expressed disappointment at the conduct of the governor, stating that he did not like ingrates and that money and power would always reveal the nature of a person.
He added that he had left a debt-free state for the governor and left some projects behind for his successor, as part of his own government.
He said, “let me tell you, I don’t like ingrates; I don’t like it. What is happening now is what Odili said in his book; ‘Give a man power and money, that’s when you will know the person he is’. If you have not given a man power and money, do not say you know the person.
“I know what people’s states are suffering in terms of debt. Let him go on record whether I left any debt. Liability, let them check.
“I was paying pension and gratuities every month. I took Rivers State to the level that you can’t discuss politics in Nigeria without talking about Rivers state.
“Before I left for example, they had a hospital that was commissioned three days ago. Go and ask contractors what they said; it was finished February, I left him there.
“I said ‘look, take all these projects, use it to showcase your hundred days.’ What we are saying is that put the political family that brought you together.
“This is something you didn’t even contribute to it, people built this structure and helped you, and you dare strike them within hundred days in office”?
Wike also ssid his support was for President Bola Tinubu administration, while denying rumours that he nursed ambition to contest against the President in 2027, even though he contested the presidential primzry of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and lost to Atiku, who has since temsined his political enemy.
