VIDEO: “From the tune of Mr. President, it’s like the Supreme Court judgment was doctored” – Sara-Igbe

By KEMI KASUMU

Sara-Igbe insisted, “I am very proud to say that I and my colleagues went to court to challenge this injustice, because from the tune of Mr. President at the Supreme Court, it’s like the Supreme Court was doctored to go in line with that agreement.”

Prominent elder statesman Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe has thrown the light into how the current crisis in Rivers State started, alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by his his tune at the Supreme Court made it look like the apex court judgment that has led to the peak of the impasse in the state was doctored.

He stated this while questioning the motive behind the President’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, forcing himself into a community that allegedly did not want him in their domain.

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum chieftain, who gave details of the first intervention by President Tinubu and why PANDEF went to meet him recently, explained that PANDEF did not only dwell on Rivers State but that Rivers State became the centre of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reply to it during the meeting.

According to him, “And he (Tinubu) said he intervened in this matter but they did not obey instructions and some of us took him to court.”

Sara-Igbe insisted, “I am very proud to say that I and my colleagues went to court to challenge this injustice, because from the tune of Mr. President at the Supreme Court, it’s like the Supreme Court was doctored to go in line with that agreement. It was very obvious that Supreme Court went out of their way to even make pronouncement in issues that are not before them, which is not the proper thing to do.”

Nyesom Wike came under fire for his controversial visit to Abalama, with the prominent elder statesman Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe questioning the motive behind his doing so in a community where he is not wanted. Recall the the traditional ruler of the community had written the Commissioner in Police of Rivers State to stop Wike from holding his thanksgiving event in his domain.

Speaking in a video shared by Symfoni TV, Sara-Igbe expressed strong disapproval of Wike’s approach, stating that a leader who is genuinely respected would not need to impose himself on people who clearly did not welcome his presence.

“A few days ago, Wike went to Abalama, and the visit turned into a chaotic scene. Teargas was fired to disperse women, and the situation became problematic,” Sara-Igbe said. “If you are going to a particular house and the owner of the house says, ‘Don’t come to my house,’ but you force yourself in, what does that say about you?”

Sara-Igbe questioned why Wike needed a heavily armed security convoy, including soldiers, police officers, gunboats, and armored vehicles, just to visit a community. He argued that such a show of force was unnecessary and only served to confirm that Wike’s presence was not welcome.

“If he is truly loved and accepted, why did he have to come in with an army of security personnel?” Sara-Igbe asked. “A leader should be received with open arms, not with resistance and fear.”

The elder statesman further criticized the use of security forces to intimidate local residents, especially women, who were reportedly dispersed with teargas. He described the incident as an abuse of power and a reflection of the political tension in the state.

On Wike’s claim accusing elders of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) of going to court against Tinubu over the agreement he caused Fubara to sign in Aso Rock, Sara-Igbe said:

‘Let me start by talking about myself. Sara-Igbe is different from PANDEF and PANDEF is different from Rivers State Elders Forum. PANDEF did not go to court. PANDEF is umbrella body for all the Niger Delta states, all the ethnic groups including Ikwerre and Ogoni. They are part of PANDEF. And Ikwerre sons, Ogoni sons and other ethic groups are all having positions in PANDEF.

“Rivers State Elders Forum is also a different body made of elders of Rivers State…. Sara-Igbe is also a different person all together.

“Having said that, myself and some of my colleagues went to court. We strongly believe that the eight-point directives given by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Sim are not in the interest of Rivers State. When we said that, since they don’t understand what we were saying as elders, the whole problem Sim is having today is a manifestation of those agreements.

“We asked him not to implement those decisions because it will affect him and affect the state. Today, those agreements he implemented by withdrawing his case from court has given room for Wike to think he is a Superman but he is not a Superman.

“In a game of Mafia, the beginning is not the end but the end justifies the means. Since Wike thinks he has received Tinubu by telling lies to him that Sim did not implement those agreements, Wike is making a big mistake.

“But rather it was Wike who came out line he did two days ago after the parley to tell the world he would not obey the President. And in his media chat he also made it clear that even before we met with the President he had met with Mr. President and that he had told Mr. President his own stand, that it was based on his own stand that Mr. President acted the way he acted.

“Now, why did Pan-Niger Delta Forum go to Mr. President? Pan-Niger Delta Forum made up of elders, chiefs, kings, youths, women from all the various ethnic groups observed that if Tinubu did not nip this in the bud, there would be a crisis in the Niger Delta which would be in the interest of Niger Delta and the Federal Government.

“Niger Delta is the economic nerve of this country and so the elders, the leaders of PANDEF felt if the situation to the era where oil production dropped from 2.1 million to 700, it would during Yar’Adua tenure, it would not augur well moreso now that the country is highly indebted and we are in economic nightmare. So we went to advise Mr. President to intervene as PANDEF.

“Not only the Niger Delta crisis, you would agree with us that Mr. President has signed all the other regional development commissions but he refused to sign the South South Development Commission and we went there to tell him ‘Look, there is difference between NDDC and the South South Development Commission. We made instances NDDC comprises even the part of South West and part of South East.

“It is basically for the oil producing states which implies that any oil producing Ng State can be part of NDDC. We even advised him to change the name if possible to OMPADEC.

“We also asked Mr. President to look into the Bakasi secession to Cameroon and see the resettlement programme can be carried out for the people of Bakasi. We went further to complain about ports, how our ports are not working…and so Mr. President should do something and ensure that our ports are functioning.”

According to him the PANDEF did not only dwell on Rivers State but that Rivers State became the centre of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reply to PANDEF during the meeting. And he said he intervened in this matter but they did not obey instructions and some of us took him to court.

Sara-Igbe insisted, “I am very proud to say that I and my colleagues went to court challenge this injustice because from the tune of Mr. President at the Supreme Court, it’s like the Supreme Court was doctored to go in line with that agreement. It was very obvious that Supreme Court went out of their way to even make pronouncement in issues that are not before them, which is not the proper thing to do.

“But that not withstanding, Supreme Court is the highest court. Mr. President had directed us to advise him (Sim) to implement the Supreme Court judgment and we have spoken with Sim and he said he would comply with the Supreme Court judgment.

“But after he has said this, the Wike group are still frustrating him. The Supreme Court said present the budget, he has been to the Assembly he has written to them, he went to the Assembly quarters, you all saw what they did to him. They locked him out. That act alone is an insult to the people of Rivers State.

“The Governor of the state, we don’t have two governors, we have only one governor and the governor of the state is the custodian of all the assets of the state and so he has powers to enter into any part of the state, particularly the assets of the state. But you preventer him from entering a particular place.

“It is all clear that they are out to frustrate the government. It is also clear that they find pleasure in punishing the people of Rivers State because from the media chat of Wike, he said he does not care whether the civil servants are paid or other auxiliary social services are carried out in the state. He went as far as saying he is ready to impeach the governor.

“But the President advised us to go and make peace and we have spoken with the governor and he said he is willing to comply. But Wike came out insult PANDEF. By insulting PANDEF he has insulted Ikwerre people, he has insulted the Ijaws, he has insulted the Efik, he has insulted the Ogoja, he has insulted the Urobos, the Itshekiris,vtge Edo, the Anocha, all the Niger Delta ethnic nationalities he has insulted the Ibibios, all the Niger Delta he has insulted all of them including his own Ikwerre by insulting PANDEF.

“And he (Wike) has the gut to insult Spiff who became governor before he was born and today you can see the …of Spiff all over the state. Nobody can show us the property of Spiff that this is Spiff house in Rivers State or anywhere after spending right to 10 years as governor and he was adjudged to be the best governor of Rivers State. He has no property. Today Wike is showing affluence all over the state and the country.”

He also addressed Wike calling PANDEF as merchants.

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