Sir Sim Fubara was addressing a delegation of Ijaw leaders led by Senator Seriake Dickson.
Let me say it here, the young people, those group of men who claim that they are Assembly members are not Assembly members, they are not existing.
I want it to be on record. I accepted that peace accord to give them a floating, that’s the truth. There was nothing in that peace accord that is a constitutional issue, it’s a political solution to a problem.
Then I accepted it because these were people that were eating in my house. These are people I have helped paid their children’s school fees when I wasn’t even a Governor, so what is the thing there? Yes, we might have our disagreements, but I believe that one day, we could also come together. That was the reason I did it.
But I think it has gotten to a time when I need to make a statement on this thing so that they understand that they are not existing. Their existence is me allowing them to exist, if i de-recognise them they are no where, that’s the truth.
So, I want you to see the sacrifice I have made in the course of allowing peace to be in our State. I can say here with all amount of boldness I have never called any policeman anywhere to go and harass anybody, I have never gone anywhere to do anything against anybody but what happens to people that are supporting me, they are been harassed, they are been detained. There is no week someone does not come in here with letter of invitation for trumped-up charges and what my senior here said using the word restrained, i don’t think the other party here has shown any restraint, I am the one that has shown restraint in the face of this thing.
I am the one that is badly been hit even when I have all the Government instruments to cause disaster but why will I do it, this is a relationship that we have been together, eaten together so why will i forget those things?
So even when I act, I act knowing there is a relationship bigger and greater than any other thing. Politics will go and politics will come but what’s important is your relationship and how you are been perceived after power.
It doesn’t last forever, it’s something that stays for a while, so one way or the other it starts and it ends, they say transient. For example, our father (Dickson) was former, he had his time. Things that they ought to do, my commissioners hide the information from me, he (CoS) calls me and tells me this this and this. You don’t know what I am going through, I am working with my enemies.
Imagine when your Attorney-General will go and sabotage you, it’s as bad as that, but they will all get their reward. Not in the next world but in this world. If I had not gone to reconcile with my brother, I will have been in bigger sh!t, so i am already benefitting and reaping the benefits of that peaceful relationship.
It’s unfortunate that what brought us to this level is that we don’t have leaders in Rivers State, let’s not pretend. What happened in Rivers State even happened in Bayelsa but people could call and say don’t do this and don’t do that and they said let’s let it go but not in this State because the leaders have sold their conscience because of what.. money, not even good money. If you are doing something because of money, it should be good money.
I want to leave here and be that type of leader that will look at you and tell you the truth, that is what leadership should be. When you leave an office and been called an elder statesman, that is the quality.
I will continue to do those things that are right to make you people proud.
