The Minister of State for Education evaded questions from journalists.
The crisis at the Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday was the subject of discussion among ministers shortly before the commencement of the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation at the State House on Wednesday.
A video recording of the chaos was played on the giant screen inside the Council Chambers when some ministers who were watching called the attention of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, who is from the state.
Mr. Wike was a former ally of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and was reportedly nominated as minister by the governor. He has, however, sided with the presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the political battle against Mr. Amaechi.
In response to calls by his fellow ministers for explanation, Mr. Wike said it was all part of politics and that the insinuation that he could be behind the incident was not correct.
“I was not there, did you see me there?” Wike asked his colleagues who were standing close to him.
Mr. Wike was the centre of attraction as other ministers gathered around him to discuss the fracas at the chambers which left several lawmakers severely injured.
The education minister was surrounded by Ministers; Bala Mohammed (FCT); Sarah Ochekpe (Water Resources); Zainab Kuchi (Minister of State for Power), Abba Moro (Interior) and Special Adviser to the President on Performance Evaluation and Monitoring, Professor Sylvester Monye, as he tried to explain what happened at the Rivers Assembly on Tuesday.
He later left his colleagues and walked over to the Chief of Staff to the President, Mike Oghiadomhe, when the latter entered the Council Chambers. Both men continued their discussion before Vice President Namadi Sambo came into the council chambers to kick-start the meeting.
After the meeting which lasted for barely an hour, Mr. Wike was approached by journalists at the State House corridor leading to the Council Chambers to seek his comment on the developments in his state.
“Gentlemen, I will be with you, let me see the Vice President in his office, I don’t want to keep him waiting, I am coming back,” he said.
He never returned to answer the questions by reporters
Mr. Wike was later sighted at the entrance of the administration block inside the State House making frantic calls, apparently discussing the development in the state with the person at the other end of the line; before leaving in his official car.
Source: PremiumTimes
