Wike not ready for peace in Rivers crisis, Clark tells Tinubu

 South-South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has told President Bola Tinubu that the immediate past governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCT, Nyesom Wike, was not ready for peace in the political crisis rocking the state.

In a statement yesterday, in Abuja, Clark said: “The continuous activities of Wike are clear indications that he is not ready for peace in Rivers State

.“It will be recalled that Tinubu intervened in the crisis when he issued an ‘8-point pact’ to both parties which include: That the governor of Rivers State, Siminalaye Fubara and his allies should withdraw all court cases pertaining to the matter, even though this is against the 1999 Constitution and against popular opinion of Rivers people and indeed Nigerians, Governor Fubara and his associates, including the Speaker recognised by the court, Edison Ebie, have complied with this proclamation.

“The expectation is that the 26 decamped legislative members who had filed cases in court, would have also done same. But they refused, giving rise to the judgment delivered by Justice James Omotoso on January 22, 2024, stating amongst other things, the nullification of the 2024 Budget which was presented by Governor Fubara, passed and signed into law.

“Justice Omotoso said he based his judgment on the fact that the legislatures said there was no evidence of settlement of the matter before him.

“From the above, it shows clearly that Governor Fubara, obeyed Mr. President and carried out his directives, in violation of the 1999 Constitution ‘for the sake of peace,’ except that which he is currently precluded from doing by the courts. Even though majority of Nigerians were not happy with the terms of the settlement.

“Having done all these against the Constitution which Fubara, as Governor of Rivers State swore to uphold, Nyesom Wike is not seen, wittingly or unwittingly, by his latent or otherwise conduct, advancing peace in Rivers State.

“Let the truth be told to President Tinubu, Wike is not ready for any form of peace. Therefore, I call on the President, once again, to call him to order to allow the elected Governor Fubara, whom he Wike claimed he made to govern Rivers State, peacefully.

“However, I did not anticipate that Mr. President would proclaim an 8-point agreement that appears to be one-sided and unconstitutional, when I appealed to him to call Wike to order.”