The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, has taken a swipe at former Governor of Rivers State, Rufus Ada George, accusing him of having no legacy of development other than violence, political unrest, and ethnic division.
In a statement on Thursday, Olayinka challenged Ada George to name a single impactful project or reform from his time in office, saying his only notable contribution was the promotion of violent political groups and the destabilization of peace in Rivers State.
“At his age, one would expect Ada George to speak with the wisdom of an elder, not act with shameless partisanship,” Olayinka said.
He referenced findings from the 2008 Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by Justice Kayode Eso, which allegedly linked the former governor to the activities of the militant group known as the “Bush Boys.” According to Olayinka, the group was responsible for orchestrating violence during Ada George’s political era.
He further questioned the former governor’s political alignment, asking why Ada George failed to support his then-deputy, Dr. Peter Odili, during the 1999 and 2003 governorship elections, and instead chose to back opposition interests.
“Instead of promoting peace, he took sides in the protracted chieftaincy crisis in Okrika. The community had no Amayanabo until Wike became governor, because of the division Ada George encouraged,” he stated.
Olayinka also accused Ada George of siding with multinational oil company Shell during the Ogoni people’s protest in the early 1990s, rather than defending the rights of the people he governed.
“Despite all this, Ada George was among those who supported suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, even as he ran the Rivers State House of Assembly with just three members out of 32, and withheld salaries and entitlements from other lawmakers,” he added.
He criticized the former governor’s silence in the face of Fubara’s alleged lawlessness and his failure to speak against the marginalization of fellow Rivers indigenes.
“Now, at nearly 85, Ada George shamelessly holds press conferences blaming the FCT Minister for the current crisis in Rivers, including the appointment of sole administrators and alleged state of emergency. Where was his voice when democratic institutions were being trampled upon?” Olayinka asked.
He recalled that Ada George also dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to mediate the Rivers crisis, labeling the President a “meddlesome interloper” and describing his intervention as “executive rascality.”
“It is laughable that those who opposed peace and took sides are now crying foul when the consequences of their bias unfold,” Olayinka said.
He concluded with a word of caution: “True elders lead with wisdom and neutrality. Once you abandon that path, you lose the moral authority to speak. Ada George should reflect on this and refrain from further embarrassing himself in public.”
