Wike Wants To Privatize Rivers, Fubara Says No, They Can’t Reconcile – Tam-George

Former Commissioner for Information under Nyesom Wike’s administration as Rivers State governor, Austin Tam-George, has said resource control was the cause of the crisis in the state.

Austin Tam-George said Governor Siminalay Fubara and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wike cannot work together because of ideological differences.

In an interview on Friday with News Central, Tam-George accused Wike of planning to control the resources of the state for his personal benefit.

“The Governor has not taken any aggressive measures against the Minister, ironically, it is the FCT Minister who is aggressing the administration, who has made many public statements that he was determined to destabilize the state.

“All the Governor is doing is to protect the interests of the state. There has been no action that is aggressive on the part of the Governor against the FCT Minister. For the benefit of those who are listening, let me make it very clear what is at stake here. Sometimes the media appears to mischaracterize what is happening in River State as a personal problem between the Minister of the FCT and the Governor of River State, Fubara. They have no personal differences.

“The major difference that is at stake is that the FCT minister wants to appropriate the resources of the state for himself. The governor is saying, no, resources meant for River State will only be used for the benefit of all the people of River State,” Tam-George said.

The former Commissioner for Information dismissed possible reconciliation between Wike and Fubara until the resource control issues were laid to rest.

“What is happening is a very clear ideological struggle between the forces of privatization of the state and state capture, represented by the FCT minister, and the governor, who has vowed to make sure that the sovereign will of the people prevails. It’s as simple as that. I don’t see how reconciliation is possible in this matter. The people have a sovereign right to control their resources to develop the state for the benefit of everyone,” he stated.

He further advised Wike to allow Governor Fubara to work for the citizens. He said he supports Governor Fubara’s motive to rescue the state from a privatization plot.

“I served in the previous administration headed by the current minister of the FCT. My strong advice will always be for the FCT minister to focus on his administration in Abuja and allow the governor of River State to implement the developmental agenda he has set for himself, so that River State can move forward.

“This back and forth between the minister and the governor has nothing to do with personal differences, other than the governor insisting that there has to be an end to the privatization of state resources. There has to be an end to the capture of River State resources for the benefit of the FCT minister, and that all resources meant for River State will henceforth be used for the development of the state and for the benefit of all. It’s as simple as that. It’s the governor’s agenda, and he has the full support of all of us with it,” he added.