Wike: I Won’t Recommend Commissioners, Fubara Has Free Hand in Rivers

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he has no plans to influence appointments in Rivers State as Governor Siminalayi Fubara returns to office after six months of emergency rule.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Wike dismissed speculations linking him to the state’s political crisis and stressed that he would not impose commissioners or other officials on Fubara.

“I cannot go and impose anything on the governor. Why would I impose anything on the governor?” Wike said. “Assuming I go to the governor and say, ‘I want this,’ will the state collapse? I will not (suggest commissioners for the governor). I have no candidate, and I will not.”

The former Rivers governor added that even if Fubara sought his input, he would only advise him to govern independently.

“Even if the governor comes to me now and says, ‘we have agreed we want to work together,’ which is natural, I will say, ‘look, I give you free hand, you know how you want for the state,’” Wike stated. “All I would want to say is: I know what I did and what I have done to keep this thing to this level. Don’t drop it, move ahead. As I speak to you, I left the state where we can compete favourably with Lagos.”

Governor Fubara, suspended in March after a prolonged feud with Wike, was expected to resume office on Thursday but was absent at Government House, leaving supporters who had gathered in anticipation to disperse.

Reacting to the concerns, Wike said there was no legal obligation for Fubara to resume immediately.

“There is no law that said he must resume work today. He is the governor. I don’t understand the way we operate. Okay, I was sworn in today as the governor, for example, does that mean I will go to the office tomorrow? You don’t know what my programmes are, you don’t know what the governor has scheduled to do, you don’t know where he is,” Wike remarked.

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