29th March , 2025
Taiwo Ogunniyi
The immediate past Head of the Civil Service in Rivers State, Dr. George Nweke, has credited President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of emergency rule with saving the state from descending into chaos.
Speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt, Nweke accused the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of orchestrating the destruction of public property and fueling the political crisis.
“I want to thank Mr. President for his swift intervention, especially on the state of emergency that was declared and ratified by the National Assembly. If not for his action, Nigeria would have faced severe economic sabotage, and Rivers State would have been in flames,” Nweke stated.
He alleged that Fubara directed his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, to burn down the state House of Assembly to prevent his impeachment. “That evening, Edison was in the Government House with two others when a bag of money was handed over to him for that operation,” he claimed, challenging the suspended governor to a public confrontation.
Nweke further revealed that plans were in motion to demolish the Assembly’s residential quarters before public outcry halted it. He criticized Fubara’s approach to governance, questioning why a leader would destroy state assets over political disputes.
He also claimed that Fubara had confided in him about a strategy to use Ijaw influence to determine Nigeria’s next president by leveraging control over oil pipelines. “When he said publicly, ‘I will tell the boys what to do at the appropriate time,’ I knew something was brewing,” Nweke added.
The former Head of Service emphasized that his resignation was voluntary, despite speculations. “I was not sacked or pressured to resign. I chose to leave because I could no longer be part of actions that could harm Rivers people,” he said.
He urged critics of Tinubu’s emergency rule to reconsider their stance, insisting that without federal intervention, the situation could have spiraled out of control.
