•Monarch Played Crucial Role In Governor’s Emergence – Wike
By ERIC MOORE
Sacked chairman of Rivers State Rulers’ Council, Eze Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse, has recounted his mistreatment by Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, saying the governor kicked him out as the state Council chairman when he was in an Intensive Care Unit for six weeks battling for his life.
The traditional ruler of Emohua Local Government Area said Fubara went further to publicly cast aspersions on him describing him as “unsteady” despite his near death situation and his outstanding contributions to making him the state governor.
Awuse spoke at the weekend when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, led a delegation of his political family to his palace to rejoice with him for surviving a debilitating illness.
It would be recalled that on June 21, 2024, Fubara removed Awuse, who was appointed by his predecessor as Chairman of the Rivers Traditional Rulers’ Council.
The governor announced the Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, as his replacement, accusing Awuse of inactivity and absence of effective leadership of the council under him.
But, Awuse, who just returned from a medical trip, faulted the governor’s comments about his personality and leadership describing the governor as ungrateful.
He recalled his sacrifices as a first class traditional ruler during the making of Fubara as a governor, saying he backed his candidacy with his full chest and followed the campaigns to the 23 local government areas of the state.
Awuse said he formerly informed the governor on three occasions about his trips in writing and that all his letters were acknowledged by the government.
Awuse said: “I never went out of this state without telling my governor; not just once; all written; all acknowledged. So, when somebody said he didn’t know where I went to I was surprised unless there was another chairman other than me.
“He was my candidate. I took him as my candidate. All the people running around him today none of them showed face. I am the only traditional ruler, first class, that followed that campaign from local government to local government and I went to every local government.
“In most of the local government areas, I mounted the rostrums to speak for him because I trusted him. I am not a side-by person. I was the main one. But, today, in the house of politics, you see the good, the bad and the ugly. Anyone that falls into your hand, you take.
“I was sacked from my seat the day I was in ICU. I was in coma for 10 hours. I told only him (Wike) because everybody rejected me. The government I was serving rejected me. People have the mind to say I will support the governor to the fullest. Why won’t you support him to the fullest when you did not contribute to his being there?
“I am learning how to stand up because I was in ICU six weeks with gadgets all over my body fed through my nose. And you (Fubara) told people when I was in ICU that I was a man of questionable character. You said, Sergeant Awuse, I am not steady. That is one quality I don’t deserve. Call me any other name, but I am a steady human being.
Referring to his recent controversial remarks, when he asked people opposing Wike not to come to his house, the monarch said if not for God and Wike’s interventions, he would have died.
“Why shouldn’t I say so? I have the right to say so. All of them gallivanting in Government House we never saw them. I suffered. I went to 23 local government campaigns, all the flag off and commissioning I went. Thank God I am alive.”
Addressing Wike, he said: “We give God all the glory. Your coming has added another life to me. You don’t know what you are doing for all us here. Anybody who is with you, you touch the person’s life. But, now, you have saved a life.
“Nothing will make me say anything other than that. I know what you did for me. I wrote three letters to my governor to allow me go and look after myself. If I had remained one week here, I would have died here.
“But, you (Wike) told me that ‘nothing will make you to die. Continue to pray you will not die’. That was what you told me.”
Referring to Wike as our leader, he added: “Our leader, to say thank you will be understatement. Apart from God Almighty, Who gave directives to the relevant agencies of medicine to put me where I am today, I am sorry for anybody who may be angry, you are the next person that I will thank.
“You are a leader worthy to be followed. Our former governor and now minister, I am repeating it to all of you who may have double mind, leave one and follow one and that one is Wike. As a friend, he is number one to me today.
“Every other thing doesn’t matter. That I said if you are not supporting Wike don’t come to my House. The other day, Emohua stakeholders came here. Two of them are coordinators of Sim. I am not a politician of that kind of character. I am a liberal politician; but standing on my course when I move.”
Speaking on behalf his political family, Wike said he was surprised to hear the governor cast aspersions on Sergeant Awuse, whom he said was revered as an astute politicians.
He said Awuse was one of the few leaders, who ensured that Fubara got the governorship ticket of the PDP.
The Minister said: “I was watching television and I heard when the governor said, ‘that one that can never be steady’. And the next thing I heard is that they had removed you.
“He was one of the few people who made sure on the day we were deciding who will run as a governor, that the ticket was given to the governor. The governor never bothered to ask about Awuse even if it is to ask his children.
“But, he was on television casting aspersions on somebody who all of us revered in politics. When politics was politics, we don’t know where the governor was whether he was in primary school. That is all part of life.
“It again tells you that the society we are in once you have hope in God there is no problem. It doesn’t come in a smooth way, sometimes it is rough. On behalf of all of us, we thank God for your life.”
Recalling the ordeals of Awuse, Wike said: “We praise God that we never lost you; all of us who know what you passed through. There was a time you were in coma for over one week or two weeks.
“It was terrible. People didn’t know. They thought that Sargent Awuse had travelled to enjoy himself. The irony of the whole thing was that the wife was sick and he went to see the wife, his own became worse.
“We came to rejoice with you. We know at the appropriate time, there will be thanksgiving. We thank God for your wife’s life and your children. You will continue to recuperate. Take it easy. Don’t stress yourself. Don’t bother yourself about what is happening in politics.”