The ongoing political war in Rivers State might be gaining momentum, as accusations and counter accusations seem to take centre stage.
In a recent twist, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has accused the Senator representing Rivers South-east senatorial District, Senator Barry Mpigi, of purportedly hatching conspiracy against his adminstration, Africa Update has learnt.
Condemning what he described as “politics of bitterness,” Fubara alleged that Mpigi tried to stop members of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Turnaround Maintenance of Nigerian Refineries from paying him the traditional courtesy visit.
Sources close to Government disclosed that Mpigi, who is a close associate of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was in the state with other members of the committee led by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, to inspect the ongoing turnaround maintenance of the Port Harcourt Refinery but was conspicuously missing when the committee paid a courtesy visit to Fubara in Government House on Friday night.
While addressing the Senators, Fubara said: “I am aware that this is not the actual number of members of this committee. You are more than this. I am also aware that the senator representing, unfortunately, my senatorial district, didn’t want you to come here.
“But because you are men of integrity – the real ones, who have integrity; you decided to come and do what is right. God will bless you.
“What you are doing is the right thing. Politics is a business of interest. Your worst enemy today can become your best friend tomorrow. It’s a business of interest. But the interest of the people should come first.
 “Unfortunately, some people think it is something that has to do with life or death. And that is one mistake everybody makes when you take this business outside of the normal principles and rules.
“Our government has no business with politics of bitterness because we have the interest of our people at heart. We take their wellbeing as our priority, because that is why they gave us the mandate to govern them. So, their interest, which is the interest of the state, comes first in our scheme of things.
“We might be a state, as being presented that we have issues. But we don’t have any issues. Our eyes are on the ball to deliver for our people. Even in the face of this deliberate distraction, we will not fail our people because at the end, it is the impact we make on our people that counts.”
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, reminded the senators of the peaceful nature and hospitality of the state and its people, and urged them to feel free to interact with the government for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders
