…As Wife Of Rivers Ex-HoS Raises Alarm About His Whereabouts After Resignation
…Fubara Denies Nwaeke’s Allegations, Asks Nigerians To Disregard Them
Former Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, has accused suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of ordering the bombing of the state House of Assembly complex in 2023 to prevent his impeachment by lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara has, however, denied the allegation, asking Nigerians to disregard it.
Nwaeke, who recently resigned as Head of Service, made this revelation during a news briefing on Friday.
He claimed to have witnessed a bag of money being handed over to a former leader of the Assembly, who later became Fubara’s Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, to attack the Assembly Complex along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
He said, “First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the Assembly to avert his impeachment. That evening, Edison was in Government House with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, one Chijioke.
“I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside. I want to tell the people of Rivers State today that the House of Assembly Complex on Moscow Road was deliberately brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. I challenge him to an open confrontation, and I will provide more details.
“A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I knew the power of a sitting governor. He knew that I was aware of the whole plan and that I was uncomfortable with the unconscionable act and his deliberate posture of innocence.
“Another attempt was also made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members. If not for the press conference held there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders, and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.
“I realised that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because, weeks later, he personally told me that if he had known earlier, he would have pulled down their hall before targeting the residential quarters of the Assembly. He didn’t realise they had such a beautiful hall where they are now holding their sittings.
“I was shocked and asked myself: how could a man who wants to lead his people be destroying state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight?”
Nwaeke stated that he resigned voluntarily, countering speculations that he was sacked or pressured to leave.
“With the load of misinformation in print and electronic media, I have chosen to set the record straight.
“I was not sacked, nor was I pressured to resign; I did it willingly from the depth of my heart,” he clarified.
Nwaeke further alleged that another attempt was made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members but was thwarted by a press conference held by Rivers youths, elders, and National Assembly members.
According to him, Fubara had openly expressed a desire to demolish more state property, raising concerns about his leadership style.
He also claimed that Fubara had made comments about using the Ijaw people to influence Nigeria’s presidency, referencing control over oil pipelines and potential disruptions.
Reacting, Fubara denied the allegations levelled against him, asking Nigerians to disregard them.
The governor described Nwaeke’s allegations as “laughable” in a statement he signed on Friday..
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me.
“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President,” he said.
Meanwhile, the political situation in Rivers State led to more drama and twists on Friday, peaking with a cry for help from Florence Nwaeke, the wife of former Head of Service of the state, George Nwaeke.
Mr George Nwaeke’s distraught wife told journalists she was afraid for her husband’s life and had no idea where he was.
Battling with emotions and concern, she called on Nigerians, others for help.
“When he got to Abuja, he called that he had landed. I said, ‘Thank God’,” she said.
“The next thing I saw this night: people were calling me and said he got an interview. I said, ‘What interview? Interview for what?’ Not until I saw things flying on the internet that he granted an interview. What happened? I said, ‘That is not my husband. That is not my husband.’
“So I sent him a message. I said, ‘Are you under duress?’ I sent him a message. I said, ‘Have they kidnapped you? Talk to me now. Why are you not talking to me?’ This is the message I sent to him when I saw his interview online.
“Oh, Jesus, help me. Nigerians, help me. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. Look at the message I sent to him. See the message I sent to him. I said, ‘Daddy, why? Were you in hostage?’ I said, ‘Why didn’t you talk to me?’ These are the messages I sent to him, but he didn’t reply to me. His numbers are not going through. Nigerians, help me! Nigerians, help me!”
Her cry for help came hours after her husband had given an exclusive interview in which he levelled several allegations against Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Among other things, he accused the governor of planning to support Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed in the 2027 presidential election and also meeting with and encouraging militants to carry out attacks on oil facilities and other assets.
Mrs Nwaeke, in another video, called on Governor Fubara to intervene over her husband’s whereabouts.
“Governor, help me. My husband is in trouble,” she said. “He is in trouble,” the woman said, claiming the husband resigned under duress.
In her cry for help, Mrs Nwaeke said her husband was in trouble and was being forced to confess to things he knew nothing about and that he had resigned to avoid trouble.
Beyond raising the alarm in an interview with Channels TV, she also made a call to Governor Fubara pleading with him to help her husband.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara in a response to Nwaeke’s claims suggested he may have been paid or coerced to have made the “false” claims against him.
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me,” Fubara said in a statement he issued late Friday.
The governor backed his position with screenshots of chats said to have been between Mr Nwaeke and his Chief of Staff, Ederson Ehie.
The chats suggested that Mr Nwaeke had been reaching out to Ehie for funds and support in exchange for his loyalty, claiming that he earns N500,000, which was inadequate to meet his need.