A prominent Port Harcourt-based activist and leader of the Conscience of the Ogoni People, Chief Gani Topba, has threatened to take legal action against Dr. George Nweke, the immediate past Head of Service (HoS) of Rivers State, over allegations of fund misappropriation and security threats made against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Last week, Dr. Nweke made startling accusations, alleging that the suspended Governor masterminded the 2023 bombing of the State House of Assembly and plotted a series of militant attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta to coerce the federal government.
Reacting to these claims, Chief Topba dismissed them as baseless and malicious, demanding an unreserved public apology from Dr. Nweke within seven days or face a defamation lawsuit.
“I will not allow the former Head of Service to malign the image of my Governor without consequences. I will sue him for defamation of character because I am certain that Governor Fubara has no ties to cultism or militancy. I am giving him seven days to publicly apologize to the Governor and to Nigerians for lying,” Topba declared.
He described Governor Fubara as a peace-loving leader with no history of violence, challenging Dr. Nweke to an open debate to substantiate his claims. Topba further questioned why Nweke reported himself to the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Abuja instead of notifying security agencies within Rivers State when the alleged bomb plot was supposedly planned.
“If Dr. Nweke truly had concerns, why did he not first report to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police or the State Director of DSS? He has no credibility. I know him well, and he cannot stand before me in a debate,” Topba asserted.
Referencing former Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, Topba highlighted Wike’s controversial remarks about election officials needing to “write their wills” before coming to the state, contrasting this with Governor Fubara’s reputation as a non-violent leader.
“Everyone in Nigeria knows that Wike has a history of violent rhetoric. But Governor Fubara has never associated himself with violence. Some people think they can say anything and get away with it. Why?” Topba queried.
The activist maintained that unless Dr. Nweke retracts his statements, he would be left with no choice but to pursue legal action to safeguard the Governor’s reputation.
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