Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers State Elders and Leaders Council and the Pan Niger Delta Forum’s pioneer spokesman, has described Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s recent visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a sacrifice made in the interest of peace in Rivers State.
In response to the meeting, Sara-Igbe stated that the suspended governor had continuously shown a wish for peace, as opposed to what he regarded as Wike’s hostile attitude.
“That discussion is not for public consumption, except the FCT Minister wants to make it public,” Sara-Igbe stated.
“At the end of the day, we’ll hear the result.”
He applauded Fubara’s move, emphasising that peace often requires personal sacrifices.
“Of course, the governor wants peace all through. The governor is looking for peace — it is Wike who doesn’t want peace. And if somebody is looking for peace, you must make sacrifices. You can’t get any peace without sacrifice,” he said.
“The governor is a governor of everybody. It’s not about pride. With humility, he went there to discuss, and they discussed,” he added.
Wike confirmed the encounter during a live media conference on Monday, saying Governor Fubara had visited him at his Port Harcourt home, attended by two governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress and an unknown figure.
“Yes, he came. He came with two governors and one other person. Unfortunately, the two governors are APC governors, so I will not pursue them. And he said he wants peace — fine. I want peace,” Wike said.
The former Rivers governor, however, blamed Fubara’s current political woes on “self-inflicted injury“, claiming that the embattled governor had previously ignored the advice of political leaders and allies.
“When this thing started, I called him. Seyi Makinde was there, Ortom was there, Ikpeazu was there, and Ugwuanyi was there. We sat him down and said, ‘This thing is not good for you. God has given you this office; why not be humble and not allow people to push you?” Wike said.
“They kept telling him to act like a governor. We know. Nobody is taking that away — he is a governor. But all I am saying is, don’t abandon people who laboured for you day and night.”
However, speaking on challenges in the Federal Capital Territory, particularly with regard to open grazing, Wike said efforts were ongoing to address the situation.
“The truth is that nobody is happy about it. Governance is not like running a private business — you have to tread carefully,” the minister noted.
He revealed that a 100-hectare plot of land in the FCT had previously been earmarked for grazing reserves, but encroachment by land grabbers had complicated matters.
“We are doing everything we can, but we must tread cautiously,” he said.
