The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that there is currently no basis to forgive the embattled Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, as the latter has yet to acknowledge any wrongdoing or offer an apology.
Speaking through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, Wike responded to recent appeals from Niger Delta ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, who urged him to forgive his estranged political protégé for the sake of peace and unity in Rivers State.
Tompolo, in a statement addressing the lingering political crisis in the oil-rich state, advised Wike to temper his anger for the greater good. “Just like I will not accept rebellion from my son, I will also not cause more problems.
Wike is angry, but he has to bring his temper down for the good of all. We will have a dialogue and resolve all lingering issues, and again Fubara will return to his seat,” he stated.
Reacting to this, Olayinka insisted that reconciliation must begin with the person who committed the offense acknowledging it.
“There is no offence unless the person involved admits to it. Let’s even assume that Fubara offended the minister—has he come forward to seek forgiveness?” he asked rhetorically.
He stressed that Wike had not accused Fubara of any personal wrongdoing, but had rather raised concerns about governance ethics and political loyalty.
“The minister has always maintained that Fubara should govern in accordance with the rule of law. He has only asked that those who stood by him to become governor should not be abandoned. That’s not too much to ask,” Olayinka said.
He further pointed out the irony in Fubara's current attitude towards Wike, noting their previously close relationship. “Fubara should ask himself: when did Wike become a bad person? When did the man who stood by him through thick and thin suddenly become someone he now boldly threatens to ‘deal with’? He needs to do some soul-searching,” Olayinka noted.
In a final metaphor-laden comment, Olayinka compared the situation to someone pleading with a doctor to offer medicine while ignoring the sick person who refuses to take it
. “You are begging a doctor to provide medicine for someone that is sick, but you are not begging the person that is sick to take the medicine. What happens?” he said.
The standoff between Wike and Fubara continues to deepen amid calls for unity, especially from prominent figures in the Niger Delta region, as political observers await the next development in the unfolding power tussle.