Be prepared to pay heavy sacrifice for peace, Fubara tells supporters

Be prepared to pay heavy sacrifice for peace, Fubara tells supporters

The suspended governor of Rivers, Siminalayi Fubara, says there is no sacrifice too big for the peace, stability, and progress of the state.

Fubara, who said this while addressing his supporters in Port Harcourt on Saturday, reassured them that every step he has taken, including the recent reconciliation with his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, was done with their collective interest in mind.

While acknowledging the anxiety and disappointment felt by many of his loyalists following the peace deal, the governor insisted that difficult times require difficult decisions.

He admitted that the new political realities may be hard to accept, especially for those who have stood by him through the crisis, but said the ultimate goal is peace and stability in the state.

Fubara said the political crisis has delayed several development projects across Rivers state but expressed optimism that the reconciliation would accelerate project implementation.

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He said: “We have fought. I think, in my own assessment and in the assessment of anyone here who is genuine in this struggle, you will know that we have done what we need to do. At this point, if you want to be truthful to yourself, the only solution is peace. I did say that there’s no price that is too big for peace — I meant it, and I’m still ready to follow it to the end.

“Nobody can take away the role the FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, played — that’s the truth. Yes, we might have our differences, but nobody here will say he doesn’t know the role he played. Nobody can wish away the risk he took. Yes, at a point we had our differences and if today there’s need for us to settle, please, anyone who genuinely believes in me should understand that it’s the right thing to do.

“So, my dear fathers, brothers and sisters, no matter the level of peace that a mediator will arrange, the true peace is the one where both of you are sitting down together to say, “Yes, this is what we want.”

“It’s not even about me as a person — it’s about the overall interest of the state. In the midst of this crisis between me and the FCT Minister, look at the projects we’ve initiated. Many have been abandoned. We know the progress we would have recorded and the areas that would have been developed. So, there’s need for this peace — that’s the truth.

“I can’t abandon you people — that’s one thing I need to say here. This is the time for me to prove to you that I care for you, and I make my commitment here that whichever way it goes, I will not abandon anybody. But the sacrifice that we are going to make for us to achieve this total peace is going to be heavy, and I want everybody to prepare for it.”

Be prepared to pay heavy sacrifice for peace, Fubara tells supporters