Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State has received fresh salvos from his onetime friend and now a vitriolic opponent, Tony Okocha, who heads the opposition in the state.
Okocha was a factional member of the All Progresives Congress (APC) in Rivers State under Magnus Abe who eventually left to but just returned from the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Read also: Tony Okocha: Man to watch in Rivers politics
The Rivers APC executive council which was believed to be under the control of former Minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, was dissolved and Okocha was handpicked by the national headquarters when Tinubu became president to head a caretaker committee that was not given deadline to deliver.
Now, Okocha has fired three bullets in one week, the most vitriolic being his daring the state governor to test his popularity in the local council election. He has since accused the governor of hedging.
He had earlier accused the governor of wasting resources sponsoring rallies in the guise of thanksgivings in the 23 LGAs and 319 wards, something he estimated could consume over N5Bn.
In Abuja on Easter Friday, March 29, 2024, Okocha dared Fubara to stop fearing and come out to test his popularity. Okocha had earlier in Port Harcourt boasted that the APC was ready and would sweep all the 23 councils.
He has been pelting Fubara, who he once described as his good friend, asking the governor to stop thanksgiving rallies and hold the election.
In Abuja, he asked again: “What was Fubara’s case at the Supreme Court that he was so fearful and would need to thank God everyday for months?
“Was it not our advocacy that forced the Governor to hold the Rivers State Executive Council meeting since December 2023 when they held it for the last time?”
On the call by the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Council for support for both Gov Fubara and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the CTC chairman wondered when the people who made the call began to support Tinubu. “If they now realise that Mr President is fit to rule and he has been working hard to usher Nigeria to Eldorado, and they now choose to recant from their toxic attacks on him, why not follow the rule by defecting to the president’s party? Why do you want to follow through the window?”
He waved off the speech made by the Atiku group, saying a document signed by two persons that do not occupy any office except calling themselves former campaign organization cannot qualify as the position of Rivers people.
Answering questions, he said the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike still believes in the PDP, but that since both the governor and minister were from the PDP, it means that PDP is the problem.
On the description of Wike as a kleptocrat who fleeced Rivers resources away, Okocha asked: “Why are they insulting the President by saying he appointed a kleptocrat?”
On the eulogy the PDP group poured on Tinubu, the CTC boss asked: “Why are they still in court against the power of Mr President to mediate in the Rivers crisis?”
On the authenticity of the present membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Okocha said the man claiming to e factional speaker who recently resigned from the Assembly to become Chief of Staff to Fubara, Edison Ehie, did not resign in the eye of the law. “Ehie has no right to announce his resignation. It’s the Speaker that will announce it for it to be proper.”
He went on: “The 27 lawmakers were uncomfortable in the PDP and crossed over to the APC. The Aso Rock agreement signed by both parties (Wike and Fubara) required the budget to be represented to the Rivers State House of Assembly. President Tinubu recognized the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
“One of those in the press conference yesterday (in PH) was also in the Aso Rock meeting where President Tinubu warned of sanctions for any breach of the agreement. Now, what have they (Atiku council group) said against the weekly jamborees of Gov Fubara, or are they just to reap? Have they been able to speak against the export of nudity of Rivers vulnerable women to the world?”
Lambastes CUPP spokesman:
Had in the week lambasted Ikenga Ugochinyere, member representing Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and one of the opposition lawmakers in the Federal House under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) for coming to the defence of Gov Fubara. The federal lawmaker had expressed strong disapproval of the amendment of the Local Government Law of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly.
In a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, 22nd March, 2024, Ugochinyere described the action of the Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly as an act of “impunity”, “legislative rascality,” and “a coup against democracy.”
Reacting in Port Harcourt, Okocha called the statement as tissues of lies and wondered why the lawmaker would speak when he was not representing any of the 13 Federal Constituencies in Rivers State.
Speaking further, CTC boss said, “We are aware, stemming from profound research, that Ugochinyere represents a Constituency in Imo State, and that he did nothing and said nothing at the time Imo State was a human slaughter slab. Is Ugochinyere speaking about Rivers State as an “Amicus”? Here too, he falters.”
Okocha thanked Gov Hope Uzodinma, who he said stood up to the occasion at the time, and stopped the human slaughter in Imo State.
“How can Ugochinyere know that the Assembly vetoed over a bill to become law without serving it on the Governor, and allowed the required time by the constitution”?
“How can Ugochinyere insult the sensibilities of Rivers people in exercise of his usual verbal diatribe”?
“When did Ugochinyere qualify to cast aspersions on duly elected representatives who were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly? the Rivers APC leader queried.
He added that, “Ugochinyere displayed overtly that he was speaking from his pocket, otherwise, though a kindergarten yet in the Green Chambers, he should know what constitutes quorum in an Assembly of 32 Members.”
Okocha further added that, “For the meddlesome interloper to charge three members of Assembly to meet as Assembly to make laws for the State, Ugochinyere is tampering with a matter in Court, when he declared the seats of the 27 Assembly Members vacant.
He went on to say that, “If he was well grounded, he should have been abreast with Section 68 (G), and Section 109 (G) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
The Rivers APC CTC chairman went on to submit that, ‘To get the crux of the matter, why wouldn’t Ugochinyere lambast his paymaster, Gov Fubara, for lacking in mission and vision, and so offering absolutely nothing to Rivers State and the mass of her people”?
“Why didn’t he see the financial profligacies of Gov Fubara, part of which he’s benefitting”?
“Why did he not see the sin in cladding some Rivers women half-naked, and showed off on traditional and new media, just for paltry sums”?
“He didn’t see any reason why the Governor of Rivers State is at daggers drawn with the legislative arm and so, seek to donate suggestions to mend the fence”?
“He is not curious to know why the Governor of Rivers State has blatantly refused to provide resources and support to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), to conduct Local Government Election in Rivers State”?
“Ugochinyere is comfortable with the weekly ostentatious charades and jamborees sponsored by the Government of Rivers State in what is dubbed “thanksgiving”.
“I know him. He knows me very well. In case he attempts a denial, he should at least remember that it is that man who was Chief of Staff, Government House between 2012 – 2015.”
Okocha concluded with a demand for apology to the Rivers people and the Rivers State house of Assembly in 48 hours. “He should stay within the lane of the appellation (honourable) as he pulls himself up from the gutters. He should be warned of the dire consequences of hatchet job such as he is hired to do.”
The fireworks have continued to rage in Rivers State.
