By Precious Akutamadu
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers has expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his “fatherly intervention” in the political crisis that rocked the state recently.
Fubara’s gratitude is contained in a statement he signed and issued to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
He said that the president’s mediation “opened a series of communication channels to facilitate the timely resolution of the festering political crisis”.
He also thanked elder statesmen, who also waded into the matter to ensure that peace and stability returned to the state.
Fubara gave account of what led to his visit to the Assembly complex on Monday, to assess the level of damage and initiate immediate measures to protect lives and property within the complex.
He said that he was inundated with reports on Sunday that the hallowed chamber of the assembly had been gutted by fire.
He said that the fire.was successfully put out by the fire service, after which security agencies took control of the situation.
“I charged the security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and report to me.
“Shortly after, I got reports that the assembly had broken into two factions: one claiming to have impeached and suspended the House Leader and three others, preparatory to initiating an impeachment action against me.
“The other rival faction also claimed to have impeached the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, thus sparking off some form of political crisis.
“Let me clearly state that my actions are aimed at restoring peace and stability in our state.
“I am a man of peace and as governor, the advancement of our state is my primary concern.
“Consequently, no sacrifice is too much for me to make to achieve this objective.
“Furthermore, it is the collective responsibility of the immediate past governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and my humble self to leverage our positions and influences within and outside the state to advance the progress, security and wellbeing of our people.
“We must, therefore, not allow circumstances that could retard all efforts at achieving greatness for our people to prevail.”
The governor gave assurance that he was always willing and ready to embrace the path to lasting peace and tranquility.
He further promised his commitment to consummating all other efforts and initiatives by the president and other well-meaning Nigerians toward the permanent resolution of the crisis.
“I assure the good people and youths of Rivers that peace will certainly prevail and we shall continue to work together to advance the peace, security, progress and development of our state.
“As Governor, I sincerely apologise to the good people of Rivers for the regrettable anxieties of the last few days.
“I thank you all for your concern and continued support, love, and prayers,” Fubara said.
(NAN)
