The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum has expressed its displeasure over Governor Sim Fubara’s decision to reappoint the nine former commissioners who are loyal to FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.
Recall that the commissioners had resigned their positions in the heat of the recent political crisis in the state.
After the signing of the 8-point resolution between Fubara and Wike at the Presidential Villa, the Rivers governor recalled the commissioners.
But the Forum described Fubara’s action as illegal.
A member of the Forum, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, advised Fubara not to let down his guard around the commissioners.
“We have continued to maintain that you cannot protect your house with your sworn enemies. When your enemies are known, you push them away or you keep them at arms-length. But there is this saying that you cannot allow your enemies to be your guard because they will one day assassinate you,” he said.
Sara-Igbe noted that the Rivers Elders were still in court, challenging the resolution reached at a reconciliatory meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in December.
“Well, the governor is doing what he likes, but at the appropriate time the law will say whether he is right or not. As it is now we are in court, so we cannot preempt the court, when the time comes we will know whether what he (Fubara) is doing is right or wrong.
“As far as we are concerned, all the things he is doing are not in tandem with the law. So, we are in court and want the court to interpret the law as regards the eight-point directives, whether the eight-point directives will stand or not.
“If the court interpretes in our favour that the eight-point agenda cannot stand, then all he has done would become null and void. But if the law says otherwise then we can now discuss the matter after we have exhausted it because we are going to drag this case to the Supreme Court.”
Asked if he has any message for the returnee pro-Wike commissioners, Sara-Igbe said, “You cannot put something on nothing. So as far as we are concerned, whatever they are doing about these eight-point directives by Mr President are neither proper nor right; and so, they are null and void.
“We are in court to say that these things are not right and that they should interpret the law for us. We are going to wait for the judge to tell us what is right, they should tell us what is right.
“We believe that the case coming up in Abuja on the 28th will address most of the issues. If that judgment gives us what we are looking for, no problem, otherwise we will fight this case to the end.”
