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…Urge Tinubu to call Wike to order
From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Thousands of youths including members of National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-South zone and Labour,
have reaffirmed their support for the embattled governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara with solidarity show at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Friday.
Saturday Sun gathered from some of the youths that the solidarity event was a demonstration of their earlier promise in the face the political impasse between the governor and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike.
The youths, in their solidarity songs extolled the calm and peaceful disposition of the of the state governor, reiterating their unalloyed support for Fubara’s government.
It was gathered that the youths were drawn from the 23 local government areas of the state and supported by the Ijaw groups from neighbouring Bayelsa State.
The youths urged President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Minister of the FCT to allow peace to reign in Rivers State, warning that any attempt to further humiliate the governor would be resisted.
One of the youths leader, Mike Amachree, expressed: ” Mr. President should look at Rivers youths and listen to our cry. He needs to listen to our cry. We are saying Governor Siminalayi Fubara is our governor.
“We are saying, please, respect the will of the people. Democracy is all about people. Rivers youths have come out to plead and express their feelings to you. We all voted for you and not only the minister for you. You need to listen to us. Allow our governor to work.”
Also, the President, Port Harcourt Township Pressure Group, Tamunoko, stated: “What we have come to do here will be a child’s play what will happen on January 1, 2024. We are calling on the President to call his Minister, Wike, to order. If not, they should expect the unexpectables.
“We are calling on the President to call his Minister and Chief if Staff to order. If not, from now till January 1, 2024, they will here from us.”
Similarly, Legborsi Yanagbana, President-General of Ogoni Youth Federation, declared: “I want to reintegrate everything we have said here today. As you would recall, we have put our decision clear and unambiguous that the purported resolution (between Fubara and Wike) is unacceptable because it runs contrary to the constitution of Nigeria.
“The constitution of Nigeria is explicit. When lawmakers have defected from the party that elected them, without problem in their party ab inition, their seats stand vacated. And as today , their seats are vacated. That resolution in Abuja is anti-constitution. It will not work.
Again, Tamuno Koko, the Chairman of IYC in Rivers State, said: “We all know everybody’s antecedents in this country. Mr. President, you are a father to the nation . We know how massively we voted for you, we supported irrespective of the party parties we belong to because of your track records.
“As a youth leader from Ijaw extraction, order was given to us by our leader, Mujahid Asari Dokubo, to massively support you, as Ijaw youths irrespective of the political parties we belong to. We collapsed that structure to give you the support you need.
“We expect that, at this time you took over office, the Ijaw’s interest would be protected. It is a slap to Ijaw people the sad news we heard some days ago. That some evil forces in Rivers State joined force with you to press our governor, to threaten our governor to sign tjat purported agreement under duress.
“The former governor of Rivers State should also be aware too, how we lost our lives in Abonnema and other Ijaw clans in respect of protecting his votes and mandate in 2015. We know how Ijaw people were instrumental to his emergence as governor of Rivers State; how President Goodluck Jonathan forsook his Ijaw people to give you the mandate to become the most luckiest person to become governor of Rivers State.”
Meanwhile, the organized labour in their solidarity walk, thanked Governor Fubara for giving each civil servant in the state N100,000, as Christmas bonus, which no government has ever done.
