Rivers crisis: Pro-Wike lawmakers snub Fubara’s peace meeting

The much-anticipated peace meeting convened by Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, failed to hold on Monday as scheduled due to the absence of the invited lawmakers.

Governor Fubara, through a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, had invited Speaker Martins Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers for a dialogue at the Government House.

However, the legislators, who are aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declined to attend, further deepening the political rift in the state.

Danagogo, in the letter dated 7th March, said the invitation came after the governor received Certificate True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgement on the political crisis in the state.

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At the top of the agenda of the meeting were the presentation of the 2025 budget to the assembly, payment of allowances of the lawmakers, allocation of a sitting venue for the assembly and others.

However, it was gathered that the meeting that was to hold 10am at Government House, Port Harcourt, could not hold because the lawmakers did not show up.

Although, it was earlier gathered that the lawmakers had turned down the invitation from government, noting that it was not properly handled and only posted on social media platforms.

A video sighted on social media showed one of the invitees, who is the member representing Akuku-Toru Constituency II, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Lolo Isaiah Opuende, stating that the lawmakers would not honour the invitation.

He said, “It is time for us to have our day. ‘When dey your dey started, and our principal said, The time for your day will come, and it has come.’

“How can you write a letter and post it on social media and expect us to come? No, we are not kids. The governor should write to the Assembly in a proper way; that is all.”

However, some other sources alleged that the government that sent out the invitation to the lawmakers was not already for the meeting.

The sources questioned why the governor would schedule a meeting for 10am and at the same time have a project commissioning almost at the same time.