The President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Benjamin Okaba, has slammed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for accusing the suspended Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, of masterminding the women’s walkout.
Naija News reported earlier that tensions flared in Rivers State on Thursday as a group of women stormed out of a women’s empowerment event held at the EUI Centre in Port Harcourt, refusing to be addressed by Theresa Ibas, wife of the state’s interim administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Retd.), who was representing the wife of President Bola Tinubu, Remi, at the event.
The gathering, which was part of the Renewed Hope Initiative, quickly descended into protest as the women began chanting and demanding that only Valerie Fubara, wife of the suspended Governor Fubara, should speak to them.
Reacting in a statement on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike described the walkout as an embarrassment to the people of Rivers State.
The Minister apologised to the First Lady and President Tinubu on behalf of the people of Rivers State.
He counselled Fubara to demonstrate honesty by being bold enough to tell President Tinubu what he wanted, rather than saying something today, and doing another thing tomorrow.
Reacting to Wike’s apology, Okaba, in an interview with PUNCH, said the FCT minister’s statement was unnecessary.
While absolving Fubara of any blame, Okaba lampooned Wike for doing everything to truncate the peace restoration process.
According to the INC president, the women did not mince words by saying they wanted to see the president’s wife and not the wife of the sole administrator.
He said, “From your deepest sincerity, you know that Fubara would never do a thing like that. Yes, he will never do that.
“So, for me, it does all show that Wike is the one who is double-tonguing, looking for every excuse to truncate the restoration process.
“He (Wike) had earlier said that if things were done according to the way he said it, Fubara wouldn’t have been suspended but would have just been thrown out of the place.
“He is still not satisfied with the reconciliatory process that has been considered by many lovers of democracy across this country, and at the national level.
“The Rivers State women were very clear. They did not do anything to disrespect the First Lady or the President. On their vest, they said, Mrs Tinubu and Fubara. If they were showing any disrespect to the President’s wife, would they print that kind of vest?
“They said they were deceived into saying that the President’s wife was coming, only for this man’s wife (sole administrator) to come and talk to them. So, they were deceived, and they exercised themselves.
“So, it has nothing to do with Fubara in the first place. Then, secondly, there was no disrespect in any form by the women against the President’s wife.
“The women only expressed their disgust at the evil perpetrated by one sole administrator. He is an illegality, and nobody is afraid of saying so. So, if they can say that anywhere, then the wife of the sole administrator wants to come and address who? As what?
“As far as I’m concerned, they must isolate those issues. The same women who demonstrated against the sole administrator, will you expect them to go and listen to the ‘rubbish’ that will come from his wife? I support what the women did, and I don’t see any confrontation against the Federal Government.”
The post Rivers: ‘Wike Is Double-Tonguing, Looking For Every Excuse To Truncate Fubara’s Restoration Process’ – Ijaw Nation President, Okaba appeared first on Naija News.