This is according to former Rivers State Commissioner for Information under Nyesom Wike‘s administration, Austin Tam-George.
The feud between FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers state will not end soon.
This is according to former Rivers State Commissioner for Information under Nyesom Wike‘s administration, Austin Tam-George.
According to him, the ongoing crisis is because of resource control.
According to Tam-George, ideological differences between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have made collaboration between the two leaders impossible.
In an interview with News Central on Friday, Tam-George accused Wike of attempting to seize control of the state’s resources for personal gain. He stated, “The Governor has not taken any aggressive action against the Minister. Ironically, it is the FCT Minister who has been antagonizing the administration with public declarations of his intent to destabilize the state. The Governor is merely safeguarding the interests of Rivers State.”
He clarified that the crisis is not a personal dispute between Fubara and Wike but a struggle over the use of state resources. “The core issue is that the FCT Minister wants to appropriate the resources of Rivers State for himself, while the Governor insists that these resources should serve the people of the state. This is not about personal differences but an ideological conflict,” he explained.
Tam-George dismissed any chances of reconciliation between the two leaders until the resource control issue is resolved. “This is a battle between forces advocating for the privatization and capture of the state, represented by the FCT Minister, and the Governor, who is committed to ensuring the resources benefit all Rivers people. Until this ideological clash is settled, reconciliation is unlikely,” he said.
He urged Wike to allow Governor Fubara to focus on governing and implementing his developmental agenda. “My advice to the FCT Minister is to concentrate on his responsibilities in Abuja and let Governor Fubara lead Rivers State forward. This back-and-forth has nothing to do with personal issues but with the Governor’s determination to end the privatization of state resources,” he stated.
Tam-George expressed full support for Governor Fubara’s efforts to prioritize the state’s development. “The Governor’s agenda to ensure Rivers State resources are used for the collective benefit of its people has our complete backing. It’s time to move past this crisis and focus on progress,” he concluded.