Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has responded to accusations by former Rivers State Governor Ada George, who blamed him for the ongoing political crisis in the state.

Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike described the former governor’s remarks as both “funny and unfortunate.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, Olayinka said it was regrettable that some elders in Rivers State chose to remain silent when suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara allegedly acted like an emperor, but are now crying foul like “children who lost their most prized toys.”

Olayinka criticized Ada George for being among those who applauded Fubara, even as he allegedly withheld salaries and entitlements of Rivers State House of Assembly members. He said it was hypocritical for the former governor to now speak out and assign blame over the political unrest in the state.

During a media briefing, Ada George accused Wike of being behind the imposition of a state of emergency and the appointment of sole administrators in all 23 local government areas of the state.

In his response, Wike’s aide questioned the credibility of those now parading as elders. “Unlike these people masquerading as the ‘Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum’, true elders maintain neutrality in times of conflict among the younger generation, so they can command respect and mediate from a position of integrity,” Olayinka stated.

He said, “When Fubara was orchestrating the burning and demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly, supposed elders like Ada George were hailing him. They were telling him it was normal for three members to run a House of Assembly of 32 members, with 11 as a quorum of one-third that can sit and 22 as two-thirds that can pass budgets.

“When the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, intervened in the crisis and resolutions signed by all parties, it was this same Ada George that described the President’s intervention as ‘executive rascality.’

“He (Ada George) went further to say that the intervention by the President contravened the doctrine and practice of separation of powers and unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’ They were everywhere, calling the President a meddlesome interloper and hailing Fubara.

“Even when the Supreme Court ruled and made a clear and unambiguous pronouncement, Ada George and his so-called elders still saw no reason they should tell Fubara to come down from his high horse of arrogance and lawlessness. Rather, they watched as he reeled out threats upon threats, including openly saying that he would give instructions as to what to do at the appropriate time.

“True to his threats, Fubara gave instructions, and Nigerians saw the outcome when oil pipelines started coming up in flames.

“Now that Fubara’s lawlessness has resulted in the imposition of emergency rule, the same elders who failed to stand and act like real elders are sobbing like children whose most prized toys have been taken away. It is funny and unfortunate.

“They have even turned themselves to monitoring spirits, monitoring when Wike comes to Rivers State and when he leaves, as if it has now become illegal for a Minister to visit his home-state and associate freely with the people”.

While telling Ada George and his Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum to blame themselves for taking sides when they should be neutral, Olayinka said, “The moment an elder takes sides in a conflict between two children, such an elder has lost the right to intervene and resolve the conflict.” (The Nation)