Peterside: you can’t impose riff raff on us as he calls Ibas ‘non-indigene’
Amidst ongoing emergency rule in operation in Rivers State after the suspension of the state governor, Peterside challenges Ibas.
Suspension of Rivers State Governor, Similayi Fubara and his cabinet for six months came after long unresolved rift between his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
However, reports emerged eight days ago that Fubara was in London, United Kingdom, to see President Bola Tinubu in a bid to resolve face-off a face-off between him and his godfather and predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
You Can’t Impose Riff Raff On Us – Peterside
The sole Administrator of Rivers State, Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, retd, has been slammed and challenged to give explanations on recent appointments of Local Government Sole administrators and others.
Atedo Peterside, who happens to be one of the key political figures in Rivers State, has claimed the the sole administrator has no moral standing to come a long way from Cross River State to aggravate crisis in the already-plagued Rivers State.
Peterside is the president of ANAP Foundation and Founder of IBTC Bank.
He slammed Ibas over his appointment of riff raff into public offices in Rivers State, challenging him to explain to all Nigerians how he had arrived at his choice of appointments.
Peterside warned that the people of Rivers State will not sit on the fence and watch a stranger−who is not from the state−to bring havoc on their resources and deteriorate the already-bad Rivers’ situation.
In an interview with Arise TV in a morning show, Peterside the Sole Administrator either misconstrued or lacks knowledge of his position.
He stressed that instead of accepting to come to troubled situation to help restore stability and peace, he might be unknowingly worsening the situation.
You Can’t Impose Riff Raff On Us – Peterside
“You see, in every situation, I always believe in giving people time to tell us who they are, what they’re about in effect, before you rush to judgment.
“When this Sole administrator was appointed, please check everywhere. I never made any comment about him, his competence, his integrity or anything. So what has changed?
“What has changed is that I think the Sole administrator either misread his brief or he has no understanding of what his role is.
“And instead of coming to an inflamed situation with a view to helping to achieve stability and healing, he might be inadvertently adding fuel to the fire.
“A given basis, he’s made some appointments. First of all, he emerged in an irregular manner. I would say the executive were misguided.
“So he’s a product of the executive being misguided legally, and then the legislator will be introducing rascality to use a voice vote to confirm his appointment.
You Can’t Impose Riff Raff On Us – Peterside
“That, we all know, a voice vote does not make any sense. It can never prove two thirds, because even in the house of Reps, we don’t even know how many people were in the room. I saw the TV pictures.
“So here is the man who came in, knows he’s on shifty ground, on shifty ground, and what has he done? You know, they say, make some appointments, and I’ll tell you who you are.
“He’s made some appointments, even the Rivers State Electoral Commission.
He went in there, removed people, made appointments.
He then also went to all the LGs, appointed, Sole administrators.
“So, a man who himself probably has had no proper mandate in a serious country with a serious legal system now decides to add insult upon injury.
“Instead of simply leaving local governments in the hands of the most senior, full-time staff and even reading them the riot act, to do the correct thing, he now goes to superimpose people.
“I challenge him to tell the nation through what process he chose those he appointed.
“Through what process did he make the appointment? Did he advertise the positions?
You Can’t Impose Riff Raff On Us – Peterside
“Did he call for nominations? Did he search Rivers State for the most competent, skilled persons of high integrity?
“Like I’ve already said, we know ourselves in Rivers State, you make many appointments from the people you’ve chosen. I can tell you who you are with due respect for the people he appointed, in my personal opinion, they are riff raffs.
“So a man leaves Cross River State comes to Rivers State in an inflamed situation. I challenge him to tell the nation what process he used in making the appointments.
“Did he choose people that he knew personally when he was in the Navy? Who did he ask for nominations? When did he produce some of these riff raffs from?
“You’ve got an electoral commission, and you bring in some people that you chose through the method that you can’t explain?
“Please, I challenge him to explain how he chose those persons. So do you want us to accept the elections conducted by some of those people that he chose when we don’t even know how they are mixed?
“And I think that is disrespectful to the people of River State. He should be called to order immediately.
“There should be no mistake whatsoever that we will sit down forever and accept persons being appointed to lord over our state and our resources,” he said.
Fracas between Fubara and Wike continues to worsen without a hope of resolution in sight.
Question on everyone’s lips: “Will Fubara be restored as the governor of Rivers State?”
You Can’t Impose Riff Raff On Us – Peterside
