The Body of Benchers has described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, as one of its worthy ambassadors.

The body’s chairman, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), stated this when he and other officials visited the minister in Abuja on Friday.

Awomolo explained that the Body of Benchers is the legal body of practitioners of the highest distinction in the legal profession.

He added that the body was responsible for the formal call to the Bar of persons seeking to become legal practitioners and disciplining lawyers.

“The Body of Benchers, as we all know, represents men and women with the highest distinction in our profession.

“We are regarded as the soul, the coordinator or the spirit that guides the legal profession, including the administration of justice,” he said.

He said the delegation was in the minister’s office to thank him for his intervention in the judiciary’s affairs.

He said that the interventions were not limited to FCT, adding that the minister intervened in matters relating to the welfare and goodwill of the judiciary in Rivers when he was the governor.

He thanked Wike for his responsiveness in appreciating the need to help the judiciary in areas where it needed it.

“This afternoon, I am honoured to lead the delegation of the Body of Benchers to thank you for being a faithful member of the body.

“I want to thank you, sir, for your responsive interventions in judicial matters.

“You are a good representative of the legal profession in the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu.

“The president even called you a good man during a live interview on national television. Nothing can be better than that. Continue to put in your best as our ambassador,” he said.

Awomolo said that coming from the body of the men of the highest distinction in the legal profession, “whatever you do, we are watching.

“At regular times, we will come to say thank you for being a good ambassador, thank you for your commitment and loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and thank you for all you are doing.”

He commended the minister for the ongoing construction of comfortable accommodation for judicial officers, describing it as a “responsive intervention”.

He explained that the move was by the separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches of government.

He said this was contrary to the erroneous perception by some Nigerians that the gesture was intended to influence the judiciary.

The chairman further said that the visit was to update the minister on the body’s activities and introduce the incoming Chairman, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, former Chief Justice of Nigeria.

He asked the minister for continued support for the judicial arm of government.

Responding, Wike reiterated his commitment to contributing to the development of the judiciary.

He explained that the construction of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, the Annex Office Complex of the Body of Benchers, and the Judges’ Quarters was based on approval by Tinubu.

He said the funds were budgeted, approved by Tinubu, and passed by the National Assembly.

He added that the story was the same for the ongoing construction of staff quarters at the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, adding that funds have been earmarked for constructing two hostels in the institution in the 2025 budget.

“Without the approval of the budget, it would have been tough for me to support the Body of Benchers and the judiciary in general.

“The court of appeal complex and the judges’ quarters under construction were also appropriated.

“To me, whatever I can do to support the profession I belong to, I will do, and I owe nobody an apology for supporting efforts to enhance the judiciary’s performance.

“I will not miss this opportunity to contribute to the growth of the legal profession,” the minister said.

The South-South Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), George Turnah, has dismissed the security concerns raised by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, as unfounded.

Turnah emphasized that there is no intention to incite unrest in the state over a planned rally aimed at rallying support for President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike. Governor Diri had previously suggested that the rally, organized by Wike’s political movement, was part of a scheme to disrupt the state’s peace.

In a statement issued by his Media Assistant, Kelvin Loveday, Turnah expressed disappointment over Diri’s remarks and defended his relationship with Wike. He reassured the Ijaw nation of his unwavering loyalty and respect, asserting that the political movement’s only objective was to garner support for President Tinubu’s administration in the South-South Zone, without any hidden agenda.

Turnah criticized the unnecessary politicization of the rally and maintained that ethnicity should not be a factor in political discourse. He also reminded Diri that the Ogbia elders who the governor had urged to call him to order were the same leaders who, in 2019, had advised him not to back Diri’s gubernatorial ambitions, a request he respectfully declined.

“I am not only a member of the PDP but also serving as the Zonal Secretary of the Party in the South-South. I am unsure what other position the governor believes I am occupying if I am truly not a member of the PDP,” he stated.

Turnah expressed surprise at Diri’s objection to his association with Wike, highlighting his constitutional right to freedom of association. He also commended Diri for his accomplishments and pledged continued support for the governor’s administration.

Turnah called on Bayelsa’s youth, women, political figures, and supporters of President Tinubu across party lines to participate in the rally and demonstrate their gratitude to both the President and the FCT Minister for their significant contributions to the state and the Ijaw nation.

…says Fubara had outlined destructive plans to unleash terror

… using his brother in Bayelsa to support his acts

..plans to blow up oil pipelines

…how he ordered demolition of Assembly Complex

The immediate past Rivers State Head of Service, George Nweke has opened the underbelly of the suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s highly destructive acts before Emergency Rule was introduced in the State.

Declaring via a viral sighted, Nweke said that Rivers people should thank President Bola Tinubu for his timely declartion Emergency Rule in the State.

“I want to use this medium to thank Mr President for his swift intervention in Rivers State crisis especially on the declaration of a state of emergency that was declared and assented to by our National Assembly.

“You will recall that when the governor was suspended as Head of Service I was the next in command, so I am not speaking as an outsider or as a novice, I am speaking as insider and as someone that has much information.

“If not for the intervention of Mr President, Nigeria would have faced the worst economic sabotage and Rivers State would have been in flames and by extension other neigbouring states of the level of insider destruction that I saw.

“First, it all started with the state house of assembly where the Governor Sim Fubara directed his chief of staff to burn down the assembly in a way to avert his suspected impeachment.
That evening Edison was in Government House with many of his boys including the former chairman of Ibio-Akpo one Mr Chijioke Ewon.

“I was there with them with a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I did not actually know what it was meant for or the amount inside.

Read full interview below:

“My dear people of Rivers State, it is with humility and every sense of responsibility and a sense of patriotism that I stand to address you today as your former Head of Service and someone who served from my heart.

“You would recall that I was appointed Head of Service by our suspended Governor Sim Fubara. Let me also use this opportunity to appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to serve as Head of Service.

“With loads of misinformation on print and electronic media, I have chosen to put the record straight. I was not sacked, neither was I pressured to resign, I did so willingly from the depth of my heart.

“However as an insider and a key player in the administration and by my position who worked closely with the suspended governor, it will be unfair for me to keep mute or for me not to address some key factors that has affected or that will affect our state if we continue on this trajectory and I pause to say that good men must talk so that things will be put right.

“I want to use this medium to thank Mr President for his swift intervention in Rivers State crisis especially on the declaration of a state of emergency that was declared and assented to by our National Assembly.

You will recall that when the governor was suspended as Head of Service I was the next in command, so I am not speaking as an outsider or as a novice, I am speaking as insider and as someone that has much information.

If not for the intervention of Mr President, Nigeria would have faced the worst economic sabotage and Rivers State would have been in flames and by extension other neigbouring states of the level of insider destruction that I saw.

First, it all started with the state house of assembly where the Governor Sim Fubara directed his chief of staff to burn down the assembly in a way to avert his suspected impeachment.
That evening Edison was in Government House with many of his boys including the former chairman of Ibio-Akpo one Mr Chijioke Ewon.

“I was there with them with a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I did not actually know what it was meant for or the amount inside.

I want to tell Rivers people today, that the house of assembly was complex, …was clear to brought down by a duel of Edison and some of his boys under the instruction of the sitting governor then.
I challenge them to an open confrontation and this will make us to throw more light on this.

A day after that incident, I almost resigned but I was very scared because I know the power of a sitting governor and he knew that I am aware of the whole plan and that I am discomforted with the uncautionable act and deliberate posture of innocence and mire of a sheep.

Another attempt was also made to destroy the residential quarters of the house of assembly members. If not for the press conference that was made there by Rivers youths, Rivers Elders and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.

I came to realise that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because after some weeks, he the governor personally told me and a couple of other that if he knew early he would have gone to pull down their hall before visiting the residential quarters of the assembly and that he didn’t actually know what they had, that they had such a beautiful hall where they are using now for sitting, I was so rudely shocked.

And I asked myself, how could a man that wants to lead his people be destroying his state assets and wasting public funds in a needless ego fight?

Thirdly, I want to advice some key stakeholders who have condemned the state of emergency made by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly to re-track that statement. They are speaking from point of ignorance.
I also understand that they are only seeing the surface. If they had knowledge, they will even be commending Mr President.

If the President did not take proactive steps, no one knows who would have been affected by the sinister plans that were cooking.

While I thank Mr President for the state of emergency that was declared in Rivers State for a period of six months, I will plead with him not to give up on Rivers State affairs because a lot is going on there with Governor Fubara.
One of the factors that got me removed was when Governor Fubara told me that judge to decide who becomes the next president of Nigeria and I asked him how will that work? Is it by votes or by what means? I am still worried.

He clearly told me that he is chief security officer of Rivers State and his brother is in charge of Bayelsa State and all the pipelines are under their care, that at the appropriate time, they will tell the boys what to do and fund was not an issue at all.
That was when he made that statement in his public function that and I quote “I will tell the boys what to do at the appropriate time” deep down in me, I knew that something was up and perhaps the time was near.
He boasted to be the David that will bring down the Goliath of Rivers State. That he has the backing of the crème de la crème in the state, the likes of our former Governor Dr Peter Odili and family, promised to use their contacts in the judiciary including some members of the University Council to break new grounds for him.
The plan was to start from Ijaw speaking areas to destroy oil facilities, to remove attention from the Ijaw and make it have a state wide look. The Ogoni, Oyigbo, Ahoda areas were to be bombed first before the Ijaw zones.
This would have brought down the government of President Tinubu and usher in a new president from the coalition of political parties with a vice president possibly himself as he was boasting.
The media must be captured by paying heavily for airtime and retaining the social media influencers and known social critics in their payroll.
I am not aware of what this revelation means but I am doing this to free my conscience and warn those innocent persons that are used to swell public sentiments, that there is more that meets the eyes in the Rivers matter.
Sometimes I sleep over a the Government House but I started becoming very uncomfortable when Governor Bala Mohammed and some other stakeholders that several nurturer visits to Rivers State.
I recall that one of such visits he told me that he would support Bala Mohammed for President or any other Northerner, that discussion in still ongoing.
Though I am not bothered by who he supports or not, I am more concerned about the quantum of state resources that were being released to these visitors at each of those unwanted visits.
Let me draw the attention of the Nigerian Labour Congress to call the chairman of their Rivers State chapter to order to avoid politicizing Labour.
I am privy to several private meetings between the governor and Labour leaders in the state and largess that accompany each meeting to compromise Labour Union and I pause to ask, why? What is actually the benefits to gain from all these unnecessary destructions.
More worrisome is the several meetings between the governor, his chief of staff and some militant leaders, details of these meetings, I am not privy too since I was not allowed into such meetings. However each meeting ended with huge sums of money in hard currency.
I wish to state categorically that Rivers people and indeed Nigerians are the beneficiaries of the declaration of the state of emergency rule in Rivers state and not Governor Fubara neither it is our former minister Nyesom Wike.
Finally I wish to call Mr President to urge the sole administrator to step up his guards and be very vigilant because I am aware of the sinister arrangement and dastardly plans to continue to harsh their plans if not put in check.
This accounts for the organised media condemnation and seeming public outcry against Mr President and National Assembly. Those who love democracy, those who love Rivers State, those who love development in any ramification and those who love humanity in general will always protect humanity and democracy.
Mr President sir, you have just protected democracy and humanity in Rivers State, you are our hero in Rivers State, thank you sir.
I can now sleep having cleared my conscience.
Long live Federal Republic o f Nigeria!
Long live Rivers State!
THE END