“I’m very disappointed in what the minister is doing. He’s the one orchestrating this. He’s the one who has set forth a process to destabilise the state,” Tam-George said during The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Monday.
Austin Tam-George, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Information, who served under then-governor of Rivers State and current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike's administration, has expressed concerns about Wike's involvement in the state, accusing him of plotting to destabilise it.
“I’m very disappointed in what the minister is doing. He’s the one orchestrating this. He’s the one who has set forth a process to destabilise the state,” Tam-George said during The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Monday.
Tam-George expressed his disappointment with Wike’s actions.
“I was commissioner for information in the previous administration and so I’m highly disappointed in the minister. What I expected him to do was to, you know, focus on his mandate,” he said.
Rivers State was a focal point in the lead-up to the local government elections at the weekend, with Governor Sim Fubara accusing certain individuals of trying to undermine his authority in the state. The polls eventually took place over the weekend, despite some controversy.
Wike, appointed as FCT Minister last year, has been at odds with Fubara since the pair fell out last year, with multiple attempts to resolve the dispute falling flat.
According to Tam-George, Wike should prioritise his current position in the FCT.
“He’s got a clear administrative mandate in the FCT. The FCT has one of the worst public schools in Nigeria,” he stated.
“He has a full plate there in order to deliver service. But he’s not doing that. Instead, he’s focusing on how to destabilise Rivers State, and obviously, Rivers people are going to resist him every time,” Tam-George added.
The former commissioner urged Wike to let Fubara fulfil his duties without interference.
“What I expected the FCT minister to do was to say, ‘Look, I’ve had my time in government. Now, I’ve got to focus on what I have in Abuja.’”
As Fubara continued to push for effective administration in Rivers State, Tam-George concluded, “For God’s sake, let us allow Governor Fubara to do his work.”