Edison Ehie, Chief of Staff to the suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has denied any involvement in the explosion at the Rivers State House of Assembly on October 29, 2023. In an interview on Channels Television on Sunday night, March 30, Ehie stressed that only the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, has access to the Assembly after hours or on weekends, and he suggested that Amaewhule should be questioned about the explosion.
“It is important to clarify that I had no involvement in the burning of the Rivers State Assembly,” Ehie said, adding that 10 witnesses, including senior police officers, testified before a Federal High Court in Abuja, confirming they saw Amaewhule’s convoy on the night of the explosion.
Former Rivers State Head of Civil Service, George Nweke, claimed on Friday that Governor Fubara was responsible for the explosion, with Ehie as an accomplice. In response, Ehie stated, “I will not engage with Mr. George Nweke, as I have instructed my lawyers to file a criminal libel case against him. I hope he is prepared to back up his allegations.”
Ehie went on to accuse Nweke of being under political pressure for personal financial gain, and he referenced Nweke’s wife’s public plea for help after her husband’s sudden disappearance. Ehie described Nweke as someone who had “betrayed his conscience” and his family in pursuit of wealth.
Ehie also shared WhatsApp messages that allegedly show Nweke asking for financial assistance shortly after resigning as Head of Service, suggesting that Nweke was not content with what he had. He further minimized Nweke’s role in the state’s governance, stating that Nweke never held significant influence and did not have direct meetings with the suspended governor.
According to Ehie, Nweke was not on the protocol list for access to the governor. “The records are in the Government House,” he said, challenging Nweke to provide evidence of any meetings with Fubara without proper security clearance from the Department of State Services (DSS). “Let him show the record. There is none,” Ehie added.