Wike Calls Governor Fubara An Ingrate, Quotes Odili’s Book

By Charles Igbo

Nyesom Wike, still smarting from the audacity of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to assert his power as a Governor, has referred to the Governor as an ingrate.

“Let me tell you, I don’t like ingrates. I can’t stand it”, Wike, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, told Journalists in Abuja on Friday, November 24, 2023.

Quoting former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili in a book he (Odili) wrote, Wike said: “What is happening now is what Odili said in his book: ‘Give a man power and money, then you will know the person.’

“If you haven’t given a man, power and money, then you don’t know the person.”

But Wike, Fubara’s now estranged political godfather, said he was not worried about the Governor’s about-face because he, Wike, is a politician. He said he gave Fubara everything on a platter of gold, including projects for him to showcase during his 100 days in office. He said he left no debts for the Governor. He said nobody is fighting Fubara, not even the Federal Government, but regretted that Fubara is the one fighting himself.

Wike: “I’m not worried because I’m a politician. I know what other States are suffering because of debt. But go and check if I left liabilities. The records are there.

“I left projects for him to commission so he would showcase during his 100 days, then politics came in. We are just starting.  God gave you something. You are now importing crisis.

“God gave you this on a platter of gold, the Federal Government is not fighting you, no crisis, but you are the one now trying to create a crisis for yourself. Only those who are natural ingrates will support what is happening there (Rivers). I use the instrumentality of law to fight, not thugs. Time will tell.”

Fubara was Rivers State Accountant General when Wike was Governor. Contrary to all expectations, Wike ignored all the politicians/friends who flocked around him for the eight years of his Governorship, and even earlier than that, and picked Fubara as his successor after he asked him to resign from the Civil Service. That was to the anger of many, and caused a big rift between Wike and a number of his allies which has not healed till date.

Wike, allegedly, literally appointed all those working under the Fubara Government, including his Chief of Staff and Government House Chief Security Officer, both of whom Fubara recently sacked. The sack, according to sources, is one of the reasons, among others, allegedly including “logistics” and a Songhai Farm started under the Rotimi Amaechi Government, abandoned by Wike’s Government, but which Fubara began to resuscitate.

In the very early stages of Fubara’s administration, even on the day he was sworn into office as Governor, Fubara always said, publicly, that he would answer and adhere to Wike’s every beck and call.

So, what went wrong? When did the pressure become too much for Fubara? When did he get tired of “SIRing” Wike?

Only both men have answers to  the questions. As for Wike: he has said he would not allow anybody to mess up with his political structure in Rivers State. For now, only time will tell when, and how, the face-off between the two will end.