Failed bomb explosion meant to force declaration of emergency rule in Rivers, says Fubara

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has said his opponents tried to use a dynamite attack to give the impression that the state is unsafe, and by extension make another case for a State of Emergency.

 

Referring to the incident of dynamite explosion during a protest by supporters of former local government chairmen, the governor said God destroyed the plans of those behind the evil plot.

 

The governor spoke when he received on a courtesy visit by a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

 

He said, “As a matter of fact, let me tell you, I know everything that is happening. Yesterday (Tuesday), they (protesters) were aware that you are 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 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. He will now raise the issue of a state of emergency, and say, after all, distinguished colleagues saw it happen while you were in Rivers State, that you saw what happened.

 

“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.”

 

The Rivers State Governor wondered why it seems that the law is silent or inactive to take its course over offenders because somebody appears to be bigger than the law on the agitation.

 

He clarified that he is not fighting anybody but rather defending the state, and protecting supporters of the interest of Rivers against those who feel that they own the life of others.

 

He said there is no governor in Nigeria who can take 10 percent of the abuse railed at him by former local government council chairmen.

 

He said, “Where on earth can tenure of local government chairmen be elongated? You were a former Governor, was it tried in your time? Even those of you who are Senators here, even in your own states, has anyone tried this before?

 

“Is it that the Constitution that governs Nigeria is different from the one that operates in Rivers State? These are the very pertinent questions we should ask. Why should it be that when it comes to the case of Rivers State, the law is always silent? Is it that there is somebody bigger than Nigeria? That is the question I want you to go back with.

 

“I tell you, we know everything that is happening, and you know it, everybody knows it. We should be bold enough to look at the faces of people and tell them the truth.

 

“I am not fighting anybody. If I am fighting, people will know that I am fighting: My pattern will change. What we are doing is to defend ourselves. We can’t just fold our hands. Only a tree will be standing and somebody will come and cut it off.

 

“It doesn’t happen as a human being. If you know that danger is coming, you shift. What we are doing is just to protect ourselves. So, Distinguished Senators, I am not fighting anybody. Somebody thinks or some people feel they own life. I don’t own life. The person who own life is God. What we are doing here is to serve the people of Rivers State because God has given us this opportunity.

 

“It doesn’t matter the channel the opportunity came from. But the most important thing is God, and nobody takes the place of God in anything,” he added.