Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has stated that he is willing to step down as governor for the sake of peace in the state.
Fubara stated this in an exclusive interview with the AIT, while the political crisis between him and his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, lingers.
President Bola Tinubu had already intervened in the issue, convincing Governor Fubara and Wike to sign an agreement to resolve the festering political crisis. However, the situation has persisted unabated.
Speaking during the interview, Fubara said, “No sacrifice will be too big for me to pay for the success of this administration. The reason is very simple: it is not political love. It is not because I want to gain any favor from anybody. My interest in and love for our dear state are genuine.
“I’m not trying to say I want to be the one man who will be there to decide the fate of all. But let Rivers State remain.
“My burden wasn’t the issue of all the drama. It is the millions of Rivers people who have made sacrifices who are seeing opportunity, and it looks as if their hopes are being dashed. They were the ones I was worried about. What would be their fate? That was my trouble. It is not about me.”
He continued, “If leaving this position is what I need or what is needed to bring more peace in this state, I can even tell the people to come and take it. It is not about me. People should understand that I’m here; I will go, but Rivers State will still remain.
“I am the governor. No matter what it is, there are things I could have done and there would have been a total crisis, but the ability to restrain in the face of crisis when you have the power to do things is maturity.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
