The governor of Rivers State, Sir Similanayi Fubara, asserts that there is no possibility of him turning into a dictator or acting in that capacity at the State Government House, also referred to as the “Brick House.”
The Governor, who has been engaged in a kind of power struggle with his predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, asserts that his administration will not back down from working together and persistently seeking input from a wide range of sources in order to deliver a freed state that enjoys perpetual peace at all times.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Government House in Port Harcourt during the official awarding of the Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition to King Ateke Michael Tom, the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, Fubara expressed that, keeping the interests of the state in mind, he is committed to leaving a lasting legacy that future generations will be able to celebrate.
Governor Fubara stated: “We are at a crossroads in our state where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a lifetime. So, for now, be one of those people who will be on the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace to our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State,” he said.
Regarding his approach to leading the oil-rich state, Governor Fubara declared, “We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led.”
Governor Fubara stated that the action was legal when he presented the Staff of Office and Certificate of Recognition to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom. He also added that King Ateke Tom’s traditional stool was upgraded as a sign of the government’s appreciation for his efforts to advance peace in Okrika and the State.
For the benefit of the people as a whole as well as Rivers State, the chief executive of Rivers State asked the royal father to keep up his justice system and make sure that peace prevails in the Okochiri Kingdom.
Born on 2nd June 1964, Ateke Tom is a traditional ruler and the first Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom. He was the former leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante, an ethnic Ijaw militia in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. However, following days of gunfights between various militia groups and security forces in Port Harcourt, Ateke Tom, in August 2007, wrote to the then Rivers State Governor, Celestine Omehia, requesting amnesty in response to an offer of pardon and rehabilitation offered by the government to militia groups that agree to lay down their arms and surrender.
Fast forward to November 25, 2017, the repentant ex-warlord was crowned as the first Amanyanabo of Okochiri in a ceremony that was attended by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State and now FCT Minister, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.
