Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has recalled the circumstances that surrounded his six-month absence from office and why he did not see any need to challenge his suspension.
Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu and members of the state’s House of Assembly were all suspended on March 18 in a broadcast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declaring a six-month emergency rule following an intractable face-off between the governor and the lawmakers.
Addressing the people in a statewide broadcast, Governor Fubara hailed the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in resolving the political crisis and restoring democratic governance in a fatherly and decisive manner.
Fubara said: “On behalf of the government and the good people of Rivers State, I extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. President for his fatherly disposition and decisive interventions in resolving the political crisis and for graciously restoring full democratic governance to our state.
“Personally, I will never take Mr. President’s kindness for granted, and for that, I hereby reaffirm my utmost loyalty and eternal gratitude”.
He described the last six months of emergency rule as challenging even as he recalled the steps President Tinubu took to reconcile all the warring parties.
The governor said he resisted the pressure to challenge the emergency rule because of his conviction that no sacrifice was too great to secure peace.
He said: “It is without doubt that the last six months have been enormously challenging for our dear state under the emergency rule.
“As your Governor, I accepted to abide by the state of emergency declaration and chose to cooperate with Mr. President and the National Assembly, guided by my conviction that no sacrifice was too great to secure peace, stability and progress of Rivers State.
“This was why I also resisted the pressure to challenge the constitutionality of the declaration of a state of emergency, the suspension of democratic institutions, and all other actions that we endured during this difficult period.
“In the course of the six-month period, Mr. President graciously brokered the peace process with all the parties successfully.
“Our Leader, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and I, as your Governor, have all accepted to bury the hatchet and embrace peace and reconciliation in the best interest of our dear Rivers State.”
Fubara assured those expressing genuine fears, frustrations and uncertainties over the nature of the peace process that their concerns were valid and understood.
