…Over Rivers’ women walkout on First Lady
• Says action sponsored, disturbing, embarrassing
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has strongly condemned the walkout staged by women loyal to suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara during an empowerment event organized by First Lady of Nigeria, Oluremi Tinubu, describing it as “very disturbing and embarrassing.”
The incident occurred at the Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme held at the EUI Event Centre in Port Harcourt, where 500 women were to receive empowerment items.
Some dismissed local government vice chairmen who protested the absence of Fubara’s wife and demanded her presence of instead led the walkout.
In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the minister, who is currently in China on official duties, apologised to President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady on behalf of the people of Rivers State. He said, “Insult on anyone representing the First Lady of Nigeria in an event is a direct insult on the office of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and as a leader in Rivers State, I apologise.”
Wike described the walkout as a “show of shame” and urged supporters of the suspended governor to stop ridiculing the state. He challenged Governor Fubara to be honest with President Tinubu, saying, “It is not enough to be visiting people to plead for peace, those who genuinely want peace work and act for it. These are the same people pleading for peace, but at the same time doing things that are contrary to what they are pleading for.”
He further questioned the sincerity of the peace overtures, adding, “How can you say you want peace and at the same time, you are sponsoring people to insult everyone, including the President and his wife? All those shenanigans won’t bring peace, and I am sure they know that, because they are not sincere with their up and down pleadings for peace.”
Wike condemning the conduct of the protesters, stating, “As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality yesterday’s show of shame and we apologise to our First Lady for the embarrassing conduct of those few women who do not represent the character and ideals of the people of Rivers State.”