The Rivers Elders and Leadership Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu to call the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike to order for threatening to incite violence in states controlled by governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Recall that Wike had on Saturday, August 31, in Port Harcourt, said: “Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us. But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give back to somebody.
"I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take.”
The elders in a letter addressed to Tinubu and signed by the chairman of the forum and former governor of Rivers State, Chief Rufus Ada-George, said the statements and conducts of Wike if not timely checked, may lead to a breakdown of peace and security in Nigeria.
The letter reads: "May I, on behalf of the Rivers Elders and Leadership Forum, use this medium of an open letter to urgently draw your attention to the recent unsavoury and demeaning threat statements widely circulating on news headlines made by the former Rivers State Governor and now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
"We at this Forum believe that the statement and threats consciously made by Wike to “Put fire” in those states are callous, mischievous, unacceptable, and clearly undermine our democracy and national security.
"Chief Wike should be made to realize the importance of the high office he holds and the responsibility expected of him by the Nigerian State. A great novelist once said, "Words are like bullets, once fired cannot be recalled and they are bound to cause the damage either intended/or unintended."
"The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees the right to association and free speech to the extent that it is not Injurious to the Nigerian State. The oath Wike swore to, on the assumption of office, protects those rights and caveats. It is rather unfortunate that those oaths are now being broken by him.
"That some states expressed support for the Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, and called on his party’s NWC to grant him his “rightful” position as the leader of the party in the state does not earn them the verbal threats, Wike is unleashing on them."
The elders further stated: "We therefore condemn, in its entirety, the language, the environment and the insults meted out to their Excellencies which we consider as an indirect assault on them. These bully tactics are the hallmarks and characteristics of Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike.
"Threat to public peace from a serving cabinet Minister has the potential to snowball out of control and is a sufficient recipe for eroding public confidence in political leaders, institutions, and the democratic process as a whole with a striking strength to deepen divisions within the society, thus making it very challenging to find common grounds towards a peaceful resolution of disputes.
"We, the people of Rivers State, stand for peace alone, and we are known as "fire quenchers', not "fire setters.
"Hence, we strongly appeal to the Minister, instead of poking and wreaking new fire, let's join hands to make sure that the fire is quenched completely."
