Group Tackles Ugochinyere for Meddling in Rivers Political Crisis

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A pressure group under the aegis of G23 has warned the lawmaker representing the Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, to stop meddling in the political crisis in Rivers state.

The group which encompasses the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, warned Ugochinyere to focus on attracting development to his constituency and Imo state.

Leader of the group, Tony Okocha, who spoke with journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, alleged that the federal lawmaker was executing a paid deal in support of the state governor, Siminalaye Fubara.

Okocha who is also the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, wondered how the Imo state federal lawmaker would misinterpret the recent Supreme Court judgement on the Rivers State House of Assembly saga.

He said the recent comments by Ugochinyere on the misunderstanding between the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and his estranged godson, Governor Fubara, is laughable, advising him to concentrate on how he can help in tackling flood and other pressing issues in his state.

“We have listened, heard from some quarters and some persons that we have decided in my meeting to tag them ancient and medieval meddlesome interlopers. This groups are led by Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the Federal House of Representative who founded a group in the nomenclature of G-60.

“We have today decided to condemn in concrete and absolute term the activity of a man who should be responsible, but has turned himself as a hireling of Rivers State Governor.

“It beats our imagination that the concern of Ikenga who represents the people of Ideato federal Constituency of Imo State in the National Assembly could concern himself with issues in Rivers State, ignoring the perennial flood issues that dig deep gullies on roads, and almost sweeping away communities and villages in his area, he has remained practically mute concerning such serious matter.”

Okocha stated that “Ugochinyere is not from Rivers State, neither does he represent any Constituency that has anything to do with Rivers State other than that he has seen Rivers State as a conduit pipe to allegedly syphon money from the government. Now it is no longer Rivers People speaking for Rivers State, but hireling from Imo State, Ugochinyere and others are now the ones talking for Rivers State government.

“It is laughable that the Attorney General(AG), and Rivers State Commissioner of Justice, while fielding questions from newsmen, after the court of Appeal judgement recently said, the position of G-60 is the position of Rivers State. It is laughable that it is Ugochinyere who will overrule, overturn the decision of the Court of Appeal”.

Speaking further, the leader of the group condemned Ugochinyere’s involvement in Rivers politics and advised him to concentrate on what is happening in his Constituency, his community and Imo State at large, before turning to addressing issues in Rivers.

He said, “There have been very serious violent agitations in Imo State for a long time now, I don’t know of anyone who has heard Ugochinyere condemn or raise any motion concerning those issues in the National Assembly. He was elected to speak for his people, but because he comes to Rivers State every now and then, at every second, he jumps in to speak on issues in Rivers State, to assume jurisdiction and as a meddlesome interloper”.

He urged him Ugochinyere to know his levels and stay within his boundaries as he is not in anyway a match, measurable to the FCT Minister, Wike, “who as a council chairman was gifted N150m by then State Governor Peter Odili for his great performance as the best council chairman in the State, and has since then been breaking records and winning awards for his unprecedented achievements in other leadership positions he has held, even recently as Minister of FCT”.

Meanwhile, the APC chairman has Aldo pleaded with the national assembly to immediately remove the issues of LGA election from the control of the state.

He advised Governor Siminalayi Fubara to return back to the structure that produced him as the State governor.

“The governor should understand that two can play the game. He should go back to the structure that produced him. He should confront his fear and not import help from outside the state”, Okocha added