The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, on Tuesday, advised Governor Siminalayi Fubara, not to let down his guard around the commissioners in his cabinet who are allies of ex-governor Nyesom Wike.
A member of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday, also described as illegal Fubara’s decision to welcome back into his cabinet nine pro-Wike commissioners who earlier resigned their appointments in the heat of the crisis between Wike and Fubara.
Fubara had on Monday warned the returnee pro-Wike commissioners not to work against his government.
“Let me say this, coming and taking back your position is not for you to use it to destroy my government. Whatever it is that you’re doing, it is not about me. It is about the things that you can stand to defend and be proud of many years after,” Fubara said.
Reacting in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, Sara-Igbe, said, “We have continued to maintain that you cannot protect your house with your sworn enemies.
“When your enemies are known, you push them away or you keep them at arms-length. But there is this saying that you cannot allow your enemies to be your guard because they will one day assassinate you.”
He noted that the Rivers Elders were still in court, challenging the resolution reached at a reconciliatory meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in December.
“Well, the governor is doing what he likes, but at the appropriate time the law will say whether he is right or not. As it is now we are in court, so we cannot preempt the court, when the time comes we will know whether what he (Fubara) is doing is right or wrong.
“As far as we are concerned, all the things he is doing are not in tandem with the law. So, we are in court and want the court to interpret the law as regards the eight-point directives, whether the eight-point directives will stand or not.
“If the court interpretes in our favour that the eight-point agenda cannot stand, then all he has done would become null and void. But if the law says otherwise then we can now discuss the matter after we have exhausted it because we are going to drag this case to the Supreme Court.”
Asked if he has any message for the returnee pro-Wike commissioners, Sara-Igbe said, “You cannot put something on nothing. So as far as we are concerned, whatever they are doing about these eight-point directives by Mr President are neither proper nor right; and so, they are null and void.
“We are in court to say that these things are not right and that they should interpret the law for us. We are going to wait for the judge to tell us what is right, they should tell us what is right.
“We believe that the case coming up in Abuja on the 28th will address most of the issues. If that judgment gives us what we are looking for, no problem, otherwise we will fight this case to the end.”
