FLORENCE, the wife of the former Head of Service (HoS) in Rivers state, George Nwaeke, has raised an alarm over the whereabouts of her husband.
In an interview on Channels TV late Friday evening, Florence told journalists she was afraid for her husband’s safety and had no idea where he was.
Florence, who looks very disturbed in the video, called on Nigerians for help in locating her husband.
“He said there was nothing like N15 billion; and he is not aware; that he is just head of service and doesn’t know anything about the finances of the state. So, when they pressured him to sign a document, he said he would not sign; instead, he will resign, and he resigned.
“Oh, Jesus, help me. Nigerians, help me. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble. Look at the message I sent to him,” she said.
Florence’s cry for help came after her husband’s interview, where he made some serious allegations against suspended Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
He claimed the governor was planning to back Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed in the 2027 presidential election and even accused him of meeting with militants to orchestrate attacks on oil facilities and other assets.
Meanwhile, Fubara, in a response to Nwaeke’s claims late Friday, suggested that the former HoS may have been paid or coerced to have made the “false” claims against him.
“The truth is that Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me,” Fubara said in a statement he issued late Friday.
Fubara shared screenshots of chats between Nwaeke and his Chief of Staff, Ederson Ehie.
The chats reveal that Nwaeke asked Ehie for money and support, promising loyalty in return. He claimed his N500,000 salary was insufficient for his needs.
The ICIR reported that Nwaeke’s resignation as HoS was announced in a statement Tuesday morning by the Chief of Staff to the Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Meanwhile, Ibas appointed Ibibi Worika, a professor, as the new secretary to the state government (SSG).
The ICIR reported that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State on Tuesday, March 18.
The declaration followed political turbulence in the state.
In a nationwide broadcast, the president suspended Fubara; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and all the state assembly members for six months.
However, he retained the state judiciary.
Tinubu blamed the governor for allowing the political crisis in the state to escalate.
He added that the declaration did not affect the state judiciary, which he said must continue to function by its constitutional mandate.
The political crisis in the state climaxed on Monday, March 17, when the House of Assembly served Fubara and his deputy a notice of gross misconduct, which could lead to their impeachment.
The House members, who have been at loggerheads with the governor, claimed the accusation was in tandem with the Nigerian constitution.
The lawmakers accused Fubara of misusing public funds, obstructing the assembly, and making unauthorised appointments without proper screening and confirmation.
Recall that the power struggle between the governor and the Amaewhule-led Assembly reached its peak after the Supreme Court’s judgment, which ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation to withhold Rivers State’s statutory allocation.
It also annulled the recent local government election conducted in the state by Fubara.
Fubara and Wike have been at loggerheads over who controls the soul of the oil rich state.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance