‘Never Guard Your House with Your Enemies’ – Rivers Elders Caution Fubara

News - Women's Perspective

The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum has called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara to be extra vigilant in his dealings with the commissioners in his cabinet who are allies of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, a member of the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum told Punch on Tuesday that it was not logical for Fubara to welcome back into his cabinet, the 9 pro-Wike commissioners who earlier resigned their appointments in the heat of the crisis between Wike and Fubara.


On Monday, the governor urged the returnee pro-Wike commissioners not to work against his government.

Speaking in a telephone interview with the Punch, Sara-Igbe said, “We have continued to maintain that you cannot protect your house with your sworn enemies.

When your enemies are known, you push them away or you keep them at arms-length. But there is this saying that you cannot allow your enemies to be your guard because they will one day assassinate you.”

He noted that the Rivers Elders were still in court, challenging the resolution reached at a reconciliatory meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in December.

Well, the governor is doing what he likes, but at the appropriate time the law will say whether he is right or not. As it is now we are in court, so we cannot preempt the court, when the time comes we will know whether what he (Fubara) is doing is right or wrong.

“As far as we are concerned, all the things he is doing are not in tandem with the law. So, we are in court and want the court to interpret the law as regards the 8-point directives, whether the 8-point directives will stand or not.

“If the court interpretes in our favour that the 8-point agenda cannot stand, then all he has done would become null and void. But if the law says otherwise then we can now discuss the matter after we have exhausted it because we are going to drag this case to the Supreme Court,” Sara-Igbe added.