Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, yesterday lashed at local government chairmen in the state for distancing themselves from him and the state government activities “because their loyalty lies elsewhere.”
The occasion was the commissioning of Comprehensive Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Ndoni, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area, which was built and donated to the state government by former governor, Peter Odili. The presence of the chairman of the local government at the event provoked the governor’s sharp-witted comments.
In what appeared to be a tacit warning to the Council chairmen and their allies, the governor said those disrespecting him have already dug their pit and would soon fall into it. He did not hide his disgust over the show of disrespect for his office by the local government chairmen, noting that they have refused to participate in state government activities because their loyalty lies elsewhere.
He expressed his surprise at the presence of the local government chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Vincent Job, at the event.
He said: “I am surprised that I saw the local government chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni here. I am very surprised because I know that for a very long time, any event that has to do with the state government, all the local government chairmen, as it were, did not participate. I hope when he leaves here, they are not going to sack him.
“I know you are not loyal to me. Are they not going to sack you? Or when you leave here, you will grant a press interview that it was not you? That it was your shadow? Let me say it here; everyone of you who thinks he is disrespecting me, you have already dug your pit, you will fall inside it. Siminalayi Fubara, like a river, will flow in a direction where there is no resistance. One way or the other, we will get to our destination and we will go with our people.
“They say we are clueless. If providing quality education to our people is being clueless, I agree with them; I accept it. They say we are clueless. If providing quality healthcare services to our dear people is being clueless, then we agree with that. It is the truth; they say we are clueless.
“If targeting critical projects, like this road we have awarded, the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku road; if what they say is being clueless, then, we agree. But, we will not go and do road to our farm because we want to please somebody politically. We will do those things that our people want and will benefit from. If that one means being clueless, then, we are clueless. In fact, I will change my name to ‘clueless.”