By Ken Afor
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has firmly stated that he would rather lose his position for peace to reign than be in charge and allow chaos to continue.
The governor, who stated this on Thursday in an interview on African Independent Television (AIT), added that no sacrifice will be too big for him to pay to ensure the success of his administration.
This is coming against the background of the political crisis in the state last October where some members of the State House of Assembly, purportedly loyalists to the immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, were making plans to impeach Fubara.
Fubara, while recounting the crisis which has subsided following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said he was not bothered about the issue, but he was more concerned about the well-being of the Rivers people.
He said: “No sacrifice will be too big for me to pay for the success of this administration. The reason is very simple, it is not political love. It is not because I want to gain any favour from anybody. My interest and love for our dear state is genuine.
“I’m not trying to say I want to be one man that will be there to decide the fate of all, no. But let Rivers State remain.
“My burden wasn’t the issue of all the drama. It is the millions of Rivers people who had made sacrifices, who are seeing opportunity, and it looks as if their hopes are being dashed.
“They were the ones I was worried about. What would be their fate? That was my trouble. It is not about me.”
According to Governor Fubara, who served under Wike as the Accountant-General of Rivers State between 2020 and 2022, there were actions he could have taken that could have escalated the crisis, but he had to exercise restraint for peace to prevail.
“If leaving this position is what I need or what is needed to bring more peace in this state, I can even tell the people to come and take it. It is not about me. People should understand that definitely I’m here, I will go, but Rivers State will still remain.
“I am the governor. No matter what it is, there are things I could have done and there would have been a total crisis, but the ability to restrain in the face of crisis when you have the power to do things is maturity,” he added.
