The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that he is proud to have made an Ijaw man the governor of Rivers State.
Speaking on Saturday at an event organised by the Rivers Ijaw Peoples Congress in his honour in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Wike said God used him to make Siminalayi Fubara the governor of the South-South state.
Wike also used the occasion to refute claims on social media that the Ijaw people in the state are fighting him.
He said, “Let me thank this team for this strategic meeting here today. First of all, when I was approached by Senator Johnson Nsakebor. He was sent by the Rivers Ijaw Congress that they want to honour me. I asked what the essence of such was. Why do you want to waste such money? I need the money. Give it to me. But he said so many people go on television and speak as if they were speaking on behalf of the Ijaw people. I said okay, I will come and let Nigerians know.
“This gathering here today is a message to those of them in Abuja who don’t understand. So if anybody tells you one day that the Ijaw people are fighting me. It is not correct. We have some ungrateful people everywhere. A father can have twelve children, and one can be an armed robber. Does that mean that the whole family are armed robbers?
“So, all these people going to television to say Ijaw people are fighting me. Ask them; all the Ijaw people in the House of Assembly were positioned.”
The former River governor asserted that nobody has the monopoly of causing violence, stressing that he and his camp have chosen to play according to the rule of law.
He added, “Who has Fubara made? All the things you see are people who are envious of our growth. They couldn’t do what we are doing today. These are people who we have defeated politically several times. If the opportunity comes again, we will defeat them again.
“I have made an Ijaw man governor of Rivers State. God used us. All of us here had sleepless nights. So who loves Ijaw more? Is it people who come out on television who can not even make their Ijaw brother governor? If they had been that powerful since the old Rivers State, would Ijaw have ever become governor? Where are they?
“I have told people that nobody has a monopoly on causing violence. The mere fact that we choose to play according to the rule of law. To be calm and not to turn ourselves into where investors would run away, and that is what we will continue to do.”
The event was attended by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
