Elders under the auspices of the Rivers Leaders Forum (RLF) have faulted the allegation of the state governor, Siminialayi Fubara, that a purported dynamite’s explosion close to the Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt was designed to entrench the call for a state of emergency in Rivers.

The leaders said the governor lied describing his position as “misinformation” and “deliberate efforts” to undermine the state’s peace and security.

The leaders explained that a peaceful march was held in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in solidarity with a former Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nyesom Wike and to express gratitude to the police for maintaining peace despite provocative actions by the governor.

Reading the position of the elders, Senator Olaka Nwogu, said the designated route of the march in Obio-Akpo had nothing to do with the location of the Presidential Hotel.

Nwogu said: These allegations, once again, are consistent with a pattern of misinformation and deliberate efforts of H.E. Sim Fubara to undermine the peace and security of the state under his watch.

“First, and for records, the people of Obio/Akpor local government area undertook a peace match beginning from Rumueme Civic Centre along Ikwerre Road and ending at Peoples Club along Rumuola Road.

“This is a route that did not include the Hotel Presidential, to show solidarity with the most successful Governor Rivers State ever had, now Minister of FCT, H.E. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, and to express faith in his reserved conduct despite his being betrayed, maligned, misrepresented and daily insulted by Governor Sim Fubara and his supporters.

“The people of Obio/Akpor also expressed gratitude to the police for keeping the peace despite provocative actions of the governor in illegally inaugurating Caretaker Committees for the local government councils contrary to the law; a situation that has stirred up much public disaffection and threat to peace.

“To be clear on the matter of the explosion at Hotel Presidential, there was no incident at the hotel associated with the Peace march as the routes for the march are completely different from the location of Hotel Presidential.

“It’s only the governor and Rivers State Government that knew that there were Senators (guests) in Rivers State and we believe he and his team went ahead and planted a fake explosive detonator to act drama in other to cry wolf.

“Is the governor or His Commissioner for Health the police detectives or any other security agent that they are the only people who heard an explosion and also arrested the so-called culprit at Rivers State Government-owned hospital? Please let the Police do their job.”

Nwogu added: “It is a common knowledge that at the spurious allegation that the State Assembly was to impeach the governor, the Assembly Complex was bombed and now to be rebuilt at an exorbitant cost of N19bn against an estimate of N9bn from the Rivers State Ministry of Works.

“The same style he adopted when Assembly was bombed. He accused Wike and quickly claimed the state was investigating and would arrest and prosecute the culprits. Till today have any of you heard anything about the report of the bombing of the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex?

“Governor Sim Fubara said ‘he is not fighting anybody’ yet he told the world that ‘Jungle has matured’. We are aware that the governor plays the victim when in fact he is the aggressor manipulating everybody to his bidding and blaming others for the failed outcomes”.

Another leader and former Chief of Staff, Chukwuemeka Woke wondered when a peaceful protest had become a call for a state of emergency recalling that since October 2023 till date, the governor had been sponsoring over 100 protests in the state.

He said: “On the 12th of December, 2023 a coalition of youths of Ijaw ethnic nationalities embarked on a solidary visit to Governor Sim. On December 17, 2023, the members representing Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru and Andoni Federal Constituencies led a protest for Governor Sim

“On December 23, 2023, Group Concern Youths stormed Government House urging the governor to discontinue the Presidential Peace Proclamation. On the 22nd of February, 2024 some group of women under simplified Rivers women for Sim matched the streets of Port Harcourt for Governor Sim.

“On the 3rd of April, 2024, another group from NULGE extraction was in Government House we can go on and on.

“Further on the local government imbroglio, the Governor needed only three months to call for elections to forestall the current tension in the state. He has been in the office for over a year.

“The President directed that elections be conducted by forbidding the use of Caretaker Committees in his eight-point Peace Plan, yet Governor Sim preferred to cause mayhem by setting up these Caretaker Committees with the support of non-state actors despite the President Peace Plan, despite the Court of Appeal, despite the Constitution, now he is afraid of State of Emergency.

“He should realize that his office is a creation of law and only adherence and obedience to Law can keep his office. They insisted that the march did not involve a failed attempt to blow up Hotel Presidential, as alleged by the governor”.