Bomb Scare: Fubara says detractors targeting state of emergency in Rivers

The bomb that detonated at Hotel Presidential, Tuesday evening, was targeted at convincing the authorities that a state of emergency had become inevitable in Rivers State.

Sim Fubara, Rivers State governor, made the assertion when he received Orji Uzor Kalu, chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatization and Commercialization and his team, during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

He said that the bomb was directed at senators at the hotel.

The governor told members of the team, headed by Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State, that the plot was to bomb their abode and convince the authorities that a state of emergency was the only way out.

The governor however said the God, who has been fighting for him and the ordinary people, turned the bomb against the suspect and cut off his hands.

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The governor explained that some youths were hired to engage in a protest to demand for extension of tenure of former local government chairmen who had served out their statutory three-year tenure.

Fubara noted that the protesters and their sponsors were aware that some honourable members of the National Assembly were guests at the Hotel Presidential.

He said this was why they attempted to detonate an explosive device near the facility in order to give reason to support the call for state of emergency when the matter is raised at plenary, but they failed.

He said, “As a matter of fact, let me tell you, I know of everything that is happening. Yesterday (Tuesday), they (protesters) were aware that you are in the state. So, there was an attempt to create a serious problem.

“In fact, there was a plan to detonate dynamite at the Hotel Presidential because you people were there. But this God that we serve, it happened that the man who was trying to do it, detonated it but just a few seconds after, it blew his hands off.”

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Gov Fubara asserted: “The idea was that as you were hearing of the state of emergency, it will be so that by the time they finish, when you return to have your sitting tomorrow (Thursday), the debate will be from somebody from this state who called you people to tell you not to come. He will now raise the issue of state of emergency, and say after all, distinguished colleagues saw it happen while you were in Rivers State.

“But you see, when you are with God, even your own child who is planning evil will go and tell somebody that God is with this man because he is clean. This is what my father is planning. That is what is keeping us in this state.”

The Rivers State governor wondered why it seems that the law is silent or inactive to take its course over offenders because somebody appears to be bigger than the law on the agitation. He said there is nowhere in the country where tenure elongation for former local government chairmen has been an issue.

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The governor told members of the committee to factor in the interest of Rivers State as they recommend the privatisation and commercialisation of public companies, saying that when the state buys stakes in such companies, it can be protected and supervised to be viable.

In his address, Kalu said they were in Rivers State to carry out oversight duties on some projects under their purview.

Kalu, who is the member representing Abia North Senatorial District, commended Fubara for his love for peace as well as determination to offer quality governance and keep pace with providing the right climate to engender economic growth to all residents in the State.

Kalu also urged Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to sheath his sword.

“I want to plead with you to abide by the rules of the land. I plead with you to abide by what the Constitution says. I plead with you to also abide by the decisions of the Judiciary. Wait for every judicial interpretation and act on judicial interpretation,” he added.