The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he has no intention of influencing the appointment of commissioners or other officials in Rivers State as Governor Siminalayi Fubara resumes office following six months of emergency rule.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, on Thursday, Wike stressed that he would not impose candidates on the governor, despite speculations linking him to the political crisis that engulfed the oil-rich state earlier this year.
“I cannot go and impose anything on the governor. Why would I impose anything on the governor?” Wike said. “
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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 noted that even if Fubara reached out to him, he would only advise him to govern independently.
According to Wike, his only concern is that his successor sustains the progress he left behind.
“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, 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 protracted feud with Wike, was expected to return to office on Thursday, but he did not show up at the Government House. Supporters who had gathered in anticipation of his resumption later dispersed.
Reacting, Wike said there was no legal obligation for the governor 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.
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“Okay, I was sworn in today as the governor for example does not mean I will go to the office tomorrow. You don’t know what my programmes are, you don’t know what the governor has schedule to do, you know know where he is” he remarked.
