Nigeria: Probe of Wike's Administration Will Escalate Crisis - Sen. Nwogu

13 May 2024

A core follower of Chief Nyesom Wike, Senator Olaka Nwogu has stated that the plot to probe the past administration by the Rivers State Governor, Sir. Siminalayi Fubara, is a mere witch-hunt that will escalate the ongoing crisis.

The former senator and elder statesman, who represented the Rivers South-East in the National Assembly said any attempt to initiate any probe at this stage of the crisis would be viewed as vendetta.

Nwogu, who was reacting to move by the state government to set up panel to probe activities of the state government in the past said such probe would never be objective as Fubara and Wike ran the same administration.

Nwogu said the present disposition of the governor has negated all the peace overtures and spited the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He said: "There is nothing extraordinary about investigation except that in the circumstances we find ourselves it will not appear as something done to promote good governance.

"It appears as designed for witch-hunt or to endorse a particular label already put on somebody. Recall that when this started they started saying that the Minister was asking for certain percentage of money which is not true.

"It was dealt with when the governor came to meet with the elders and we met with the Minister where he recanted most of the things he wrongly labelled the minister as part of the reconciliation process.

"This completely negated the instruction the President gave and the mediatory efforts of the President. The governor is saying that the President wasted his time. It is something Rivers people must be careful about."

Nwogu said the claimed probe was diversionary, adding that it is preconceived to bring the former governor who has done well for the state down.

He said: "It is preconceived to hoodwink people to think the other way. How is Wike and Fubara different? They ran the same government. One was the gatekeeper of the other. This is going to be very selective.

"This is an attempt to criminalise a good governor that was the envy of the entire nation. We should be careful at how far we escalate this. Let me urge for caution. Let me ask people to be mindful."

He said all the sin the former governor committed was making Fubara a governor observing that it become obvious that the Minister has been the victim and not the aggressor.

"All the time they say the governor is a victim the Minister is the aggressor but if you look carefully, you will understand right from the beginning all the Minister did was to make him a governor. So he has been at the receiving end.

"So he is actually a victim of unwarranted and undesired attack. This agenda is unfolding and it is very terrible agenda of our state. This is the direction. This is a direct spite on the President. If he chooses to abandon the eight-point agenda and to pursue this course, it means he has no respect for President's intervention.

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