Sophia Michaels
The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum has warned Gov Siminalayi Fubara to be on guard while dealing with the commissioners in his cabinet who are allies of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
A member of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe told Punch on Tuesday that it was illegal for Fubara to welcome back into his cabinet nine pro-Wike commissioners who earlier resigned their appointments in the heat of the crisis between Wike and Fubara.
Recall that on Monday, Fubara had warned the returnee pro-Wike commissioners not to work against his government.
Speaking in a telephone interview with the aforementioned publication, Sara-Igbe said, “We have continued to maintain that you cannot protect your house with your sworn enemies.
“When your enemies are known, you push them away or you keep them at arms-length. But there is this saying that you cannot allow your enemies to be your guard because they will one day assassinate you.”
He noted that the Rivers Elders were still in court, challenging the resolution reached at a reconciliatory meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in December.
“Well, the governor is doing what he likes, but at the appropriate time the law will say whether he is right or not. As it is now we are in court, so we cannot preempt the court, when the time comes we will know whether what he (Fubara) is doing is right or wrong.
“As far as we are concerned, all the things he is doing are not in tandem with the law. So, we are in court and want the court to interpret the law as regards the eight-point directives, whether the eight-point directives will stand or not.
“If the court interpretes in our favour that the eight-point agenda cannot stand, then all he has done would become null and void. But if the law says otherwise then we can now discuss the matter after we have exhausted it because we are going to drag this case to the Supreme Court,” he added.
