* National Assembly steps in
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and House of Assembly Speaker Martins Amaewhule may have returned to the dialogue table, it was learnt yesterday.
The two top officials and other lawmakers have been on suspension since March 18, following the proclamation of Emergency Rule in the state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stem the escalating political crisis in the state.
The President appointed former Naval Chief Vice Admiral lbok-Ete Ibas for the first six months as an administrator to allow the warring politicians to reconcile their differences.
Multiple sources confirmed last night that the meeting held and ended with Fubara and Amaewhule holding hands and cracking jokes.
The meeting came in the wake of a promise yesterday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio that the National Assembly was ready to step in to resolve the Rivers political logjam.
It was gathered that the meeting, which was held in Abuja, was the first reconciliatory move between the governor and the state lawmakers.
A source told The Nation in confidence that Fubara’s engagement with the lawmakers was fruitful, adding that an enlarged reconciliation meeting would follow to discuss peace terms.
“The suspended governor is determined to make peace. He has started the real engagement,” the source said.
Though Fubara had met with his estranged benefactor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike and President Tinubu on the Rivers stalemate, yesterday’s meeting with the lawmakers was said to be the most important step towards genuine reconciliation.
Wike had said several times that to actualise a genuine reconciliation, Fubara must meet with the various stakeholders he allegedly offended, especially the House of Assembly members, whose salaries were not paid for over two years.
It was found that yesterday’s development elicited applauses from various stakeholders in the state, including the family of Fubara, with many of them describing it as a step in the right direction.
National Assembly steps in
Akpabio, who represented the President at the inauguration of the Kugbo Taxi and Bus Terminal yesterday in Abuja, assured of National Assembly’s commitment to resolving the lingering political crisis in Rivers State.
He said the National Assembly would play a key role in restoring political stability and peace in the state, emphasising that sustained efforts were underway to address the root causes of the crisis and foster reconciliation among the stakeholders.
“We are determined to ensure that normalcy returns to Rivers State. The National Assembly will work closely with all parties involved to ensure lasting peace and progress for the people,” Akpabio said.
Wike took a swipe a former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi over the latter’s claim of leading a Spartan lifestyle and not given to luxury like his contemporaries.
The minister said the glorious days of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and how he had joined a delegation to Anambra State where their host served them Cristal Brut (an expensive brand of champagne).
Urging politicians to practise what they preach, Wike said: “I will tell you something. When PDP had no problem, we went to Anambra state for a gubernatorial campaign, and when we finished that campaign, we went to somebody’s house. I just sat down. Come and see the best of drinks, this and that. So, I called him, I said you are providing crystal champagne here but every day, you tell people that you wear only one shoe, you carry your bag, only you. But look at the champagne here. Not just champagne, crystal.
“Why do we deceive Nigerians? Why can’t we tell ourselves the simple truth? What you preach is not what you practice. And you know, we like to hear such things, but that is being deceitful.
“And these are the kind of things that I tell Nigerians, look, don’t allow people to deceive you. People who are preaching that they care for you, they don’t care for you, they don’t think about you. They only try to use you to climb.
“We must learn. We must see those who are sincere, who are faithful, who say, we will do this, and we will do it. Yes, there could be some challenges.
“And that’s a sense of leadership. Nobody, no leader, can succeed without taking the decision. We have challenges. No leader can succeed without taking the decision that people will say something.”
The Nation