As the crisis rocking Rivers State continues to linger a Leader of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Gabriel, popularly known as General Asabuja says the body has resolved to back the Governor of Rivers, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, against the Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, by escorting all the Caretaker Chairmen to their Local Government Areas in the State.
General Asabuja said “we will work with Sim, I have sent signals to all my soldiers in the 23 local government areas of Rivers to take over. I’m in charge of anti-bunkery in the South-South. MEND is back to support the government of Rivers State and escort all the Caretaker Chairmen to all the councils.
“I have over 10,000 soldiers, so if you are looking for me; be prepared to kill people,” he warned.
According to him, it was his duty to make Rivers State a better place, adding that they were ready to fight to make the State a better place and return law and order to the State.
Meanwhile, Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has alleged that the failed attempt to detonate an explosive device at a five star hotel in Port Harcourt, the Hotel Presidential, on Monday was a deliberate plot to strengthen the call for a state of emergency in the state.
Speaking while receiving a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its chairman, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, to Government House, Governor Fubara accused the pro-Nyesom Wike supporters of carrying out the plot.
While describing them as haters, who wanted to undermine the state to achieve their evil plans, the Governor said youths were hired to engage in a protest to demand for extension of tenure of former local government chairmen, who had served out their statutory three-year term.
According to him, the protesters and their sponsors were aware that some members of the National Assembly were guests at the Hotel Presidential, which was why they attempted to detonate an explosive device near the facility to give reason to support the call for a state of emergency at the plenary.
He said: “As a matter of fact, let me tell you, I know of everything that is happening. Yesterday (Tuesday), they (protesters) were aware that you were in the state. So, there was an attempt to create a serious problem.
“In fact, there was a plan to detonate dynamite at the Hotel Presidential because you people were there. But this God that we serve, it happened that the man who was trying to do it detonated it but just a few seconds after, it blew his hands off.
“The idea was that as you were hearing the state of emergency, it will be so that by the time they finish when you return to have your sitting tomorrow (Thursday), the debate will be from somebody from this state who called you people to tell you not to come.
“But you see, when you are with God, even your own child who is planning evil, will go and tell somebody that, God is with this man because he is clean, this is what my father is planning. That is what is keeping us in this state,” Fubara observed.
The Rivers governor alleged that it seemed that the law was silent or inactive to take its course over offenders because somebody appeared to be bigger than the law on the agitation.
He maintained that he was not fighting anybody but rather defending the state against predators, and protecting supporters of the interest of Rivers against those, who felt they owned the lives of others.
Governor Fubara made it clear that there was no governor in the country, who could take 10 percent of the abuse reeled at him by former local government council chairmen and however assured that he is still focused on delivering good governance and democracy dividends to Rivers people.
