The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has taken a swipe at former Rivers State Governor, Rufus Ada George, over comments alleging that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike is behind the ongoing political unrest in Rivers State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Olayinka described Ada George’s remarks as “funny and unfortunate,” accusing some elders of behaving like “children who lost their most prized toys” after initially supporting what he called Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s controversial actions.
“When Governor Fubara withheld the salaries and entitlements of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and masterminded the burning and demolition of the Assembly complex, supposed elders like Ada George applauded him,” Olayinka said.
He accused the Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum, led by Ada George, of compromising their neutrality during the crisis and lacking the impartiality expected of true elder statesmen.
“Unlike those masquerading as elders, genuine elders adopt a neutral stance in times of crisis to help broker peace and offer credible solutions,” he said.
Olayinka also recalled Ada George’s harsh criticism of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention in the crisis, labeling it “executive rascality” and accusing the President of constitutional overreach.
“They even called the President a meddlesome interloper, despite the fact that all parties had agreed to his intervention. They opposed anything that didn’t suit Fubara’s excesses,” he stated.
He further alleged that, even after a clear ruling from the Supreme Court, Ada George and his allies failed to advise Governor Fubara to respect the law, thereby enabling what he termed “arrogance and lawlessness.”
“Fubara openly issued threats, and the result was the sabotage of vital infrastructure, with oil pipelines set ablaze,” Olayinka said.
According to him, the deepening crisis in Rivers is the result of elders like Ada George choosing to take sides rather than offer guidance to the younger generation.
“They’ve even stooped to monitoring when Wike visits Rivers, as if it is now a crime for a Minister to return to his home state,” he added.
Olayinka concluded by urging Ada George and his colleagues to reflect on their role in the crisis.
“The moment an elder takes sides in a conflict between two children, he loses the moral right to mediate. That’s the mistake they made, and now they’re trying to play the victim,” he said.
