The suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has described the conditions for the reconciliation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister Nyesom Wike, for the return of peace to the state as heavy and bitter, but necessary.
Fubara said this during a meeting with members of his political group: “Simplified Family,” on Saturday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
According to the suspended governor, who spoke about 24 hours after the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, “After the meeting we had before May 29, we’ve had series of meetings and one of the meetings we had was the one we met with the President and President Tinubu clearly said: ‘I want you and your oga (boss) to settle.’
“Nobody can take away the role my oga (Wike) played.
“That’s the truth.
“Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody here will say he doesn’t know the role the man played.
“Nobody can wish away the risk he took.
“Yes, at a point we had our differences.
“And if today there’s need for us to settle, please anyone who genuinely believes in me should understand that it’s the right thing to do.
“So, my dear fathers, brothers and sisters, no matter the level of peace that a mediator will arrange, the true peace is the one both of you are sitting down together to say yes this is what we want.
“At this point, I’ve met him and we have spoken.
“You can’t take away him not being hurt.
“He’s a human being.
“I also have my own share of pains too.
“And if he feels that for the pains he has gone through these are things he wants, inasmuch as it is not my life, I will give it to him and let us have that peace.
“Even while all these things were going on, I still in my quiet time appreciated and recognised the role he played and every one of us here, we know it.
“Like I said, it’s heavy, it’s bitter, but we must accept the situation and move on with it.
“I can’t abandon you people.
“That’s one thing I need to say here.
“This is the time for me to prove to you that I care for you, and I make my commitment here that whichever way it goes, I will not abandon anybody.
“The sacrifice that we are going to make for us to achieve this total peace is going to be heavy.
“And I want everybody to prepare for it.
“Without a total reconciliation, which by the grace of God both of us have gotten, there’s no way we can make progress in this state, there’s no way the President can come in to save the situation.
“So, I want to appeal to everyone.
“I have accepted that we must accept this peace no matter how it looks.
“No matter how you feel, we must accept it.
“We have fought.
“I think in my own assessment and in the assessment of anyone here, who is genuine in this struggle, you will know that we have done what we needed to do.
“At this point, if you want to be truthful to yourself, the only solution is peace.
“I did say that there’s no price that is too big for peace.
“I meant it and I’m still ready to follow it to the end.
“Some of you might be frowning, but if we believe that we are one family and our interest is to support the President, then what is the issue?
“You all will definitely be integrated into the big family.
“If you say you are with us and you believe in me, this is the time for us to see it.
“The time when there was nothing and you stood.
“It is not even about me as a person, it’s about the overall interest of the state.
“In the midst of this crisis between me and my oga, look at the projects we initiated.
“Many have been abandoned.
“We know the progress we would have recorded and areas that would have been developed.
“So there’s need for this peace.
“That’s the truth.
“In my place, there’s a fish they call Atabala.
“You call it Tilapia.
“The native tilapia doesn’t grow big.
“The mother tilapia tells the kids that if you want to grow up to my own size, hide your head inside the mud.
“Every one of us should understand that at this time, we’ve done our best and what we need now is this peace so that we can grow.
“I know it’s difficult and heavy but that’s the true situation.”
Wike had earlier on Friday told newsmen in Abuja: “We have all agreed to work together with the governor, and the governor also agreed to work together with all of us.
“We are members of the same political family.
“Yes, just like humans, you have a disagreement, and then you also have a time to settle your disagreement.
“That has been finally concluded today.
“We have come to report to Mr. President that this is what we have agreed.
“So, for me, everything is over.
“I enjoin everybody who believes to work with us to also work together with everybody.
“There’s no more acrimony.
“There’s nothing to say.”
