Media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at former Rivers State governor, Rufus Ada George, and other members of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, accusing them of hypocrisy and partisanship in the ongoing political crisis in the state.
In a statement released on Thursday, April 10, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said it was “unfortunate that some elders in Rivers State, who played ostrich when suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara was acting like an emperor are now speaking like children who lost their most prized toys.”
Ada George had during a media briefing accused Wike of masterminding the political crisis in Rivers, including the imposition of emergency rule and the appointment of sole administrators in all 23 local government areas of the state.
But Olayinka fired back, saying George and his group “lacked what it takes to be called an elder.”
“Unlike these people masquerading as ‘Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum’, genuine elders sit in position of neutrality when there are conflicts among younger ones so that they will enjoy credibility and respect while sitting on the high table to resolve the issues,” he said.
Olayinka criticised the former governor for supporting Fubara at the height of his controversial actions against the state legislature.
“When Fubara was orchestrating the burning and demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly, supposed elders like Ada George were hailing him. They were telling him it was normal for three members to run a House of Assembly of 32 members,” he stated.
He also accused Ada George of undermining the intervention of President Bola Tinubu in the crisis.
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“When the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, intervened in the crisis and resolutions signed by all parties, it was this same Ada George that described the President’s intervention as ‘executive rascality.’”
“He went further to say that the intervention by the President ‘contravened the doctrine and practice of separation of powers and unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’” the statement read.
Olayinka said despite the Supreme Court’s pronouncements, the elders failed to caution Fubara but instead watched as “he reeled out threats upon threats, including openly saying that he would give instructions as to what to do at the appropriate time.”
“True to his threats, Fubara gave instructions and Nigerians saw the outcome when oil pipelines started coming up in flames,” he added.
He also dismissed insinuations about Wike’s frequent visits to Rivers, saying: “They have even turned themselves to monitoring spirits, monitoring when Wike comes to Rivers State and when he leaves as if it has now become illegal for a Minister to visit his home-state and associate freely with the people.”
Olayinka concluded by blaming Ada George and his group for failing to act impartially during the crisis.
“The moment an elder takes side in a conflict between two children, such an elder has lost the rights to intervene and resolve the conflict,” he said.