As the 2023 general elections draw closer, consultations and discussions on political parties and her candidates are becoming the concerns to her electorates by the day, including our Chiefs and Elders, Religious Leaders and Ethnic groups. In Rivers State, every patriotic Rivers sons and daughters would wish that the next Governors be properly screened before giving her support . They also wish the elections should be peaceful, free from any violence and altogether fair. These are the the prayers on every lip gravitating towards peace and order in this political season. If politicians were to play by the rules and show some respect for the sanctity of human life, these anxieties about peaceful elections would have been unnecessary. Can our Candidates and incoming Governors be free from crimes, especially financial crimes? Can our politicians exercise firm control over their supporters? These are pertinent questions in the mind of every electorates.
It is obvious that some states like Rivers State may likely attract more than the normal attention of local and international observers. In the case of Rivers state, the signs are already very glaring, because of the antecedents of Mr. Siminialayi Fubara , the governorship flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers state has all eyes on him as the Campaign and elections approach. The entire Rivers People are standing amazed, asking and watching” Will only Wike and Sim defeat a whole Federal agency’s (the EFCC) and can’t the EFCC bring a wanted looter of our collective resources to book?
The thinking community in the state may be justified in their apprehension because of the style of the man who preferred and imposed a fugitive on the state. Sim Fubara is on EFCC watchlists and he is on the run. He is said to be hiding in the Rivers State Government House for the fears of EFCC.
Well, there are indications that the EFCC has not relent on their search and arrest of Mr. Sim Fubara. Few days ago, Mr. Sim Fubara was ambushes by the EFCC on his way to interacts with the Chiefs and Elders Ikwerre Land. The visits was initiated by the Rivers PDP Gubernatorial Candidate, siminialayi Fubara and was a well publicized event for weeks, but he failed to attend his own event.
It gathered that during the weekend, Sunday 18/9/2022, Sim Fubara again, in course of avoiding arrest by the EFCC, absent himself from his consultations meeting organized with the Ikwere LGA’S PDP Chiefs and Elders. A situation that had angered and raised some concerns among the Chiefs and Elders from the ethnic group as they see it to be a deliberate attempt, unknowing to them that Mr. Sim had already gotten the noticed that he has already been ambushed by the EFCC.
A reliable source closed to one of the chief confirmed how disrespectful and angered they felt when they saw Prof. Ngozi Odu, his Deputy, come down alone. He also narrated how regrettable they felt of all his assurance to be present.
He also confirmed that they used almost two weeks to carried out major publicity’s of the events both on print, electronic and traditional medium of communication, Invitation, billboards and banners as well as organizing cultural play as they were compelled to do so by the power that be.
I am sure some of them may not had been of the know or are pretending or doing eyes service to Governor’s Wike. Mr. Sim Fubara coming was to interact with the said Chiefs and Elders. Little do they know that the EFCC will get the knowledge of it and ambush the entire areas for the arrest of the wanted PDP Governorship Candidate. And when he finally heard of it, he said “it seem this is a set up by some of these chiefs and Elders that they can not be trusted “. He reluctantly send his Deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu to represent him .
A situation that is said to be a total disrespectful to the chiefs and Elders, and the entire Ikwere land .
Recalled that on Tuesday June 7, 2022, some supporters of the Rivers State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Sim Fubara beat up officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on that Tuesday night when EFCC operatives attempted to arrest Mr. Fubara as the chartered plane carrying him and other PDP members landed at the Omagwa Airport in Rivers State from Abuja.
The operatives were beaten as they made to arrest the PDP flag bearer who had gone to Abuja to receive his certificate of return. It was unclear if the anti-graft agency officials suffered serious injuries. The EFCC had declared the PDP candidate wanted over a N117 billion alleged fraud. So the continue ambush on Mr. Sim Fubara by EFCC is a clear indication that he is a wanted Fugitive and can be arrested anytime .
If as just an Accountant General, he embezzled N117Billion, what will happen if he eventually becomes the Governor? And if Mr. Sim Fubara believes he is innocent, let him go and defend himself so he can be moving Freely to avoid disrespecting our respected Chiefs and Elders.
Sept. 20, 2022.
