The Governor made the assertion when he received a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, led by its Chairman, Senator Orji Uzo Kalu, to Government House in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Speaking on the issue the Governor explained that some youths were hired to engage in a protest to demand for extension of tenure of former local government chairmen who have served out their statutory three-year tenure.
He said the protesters and their sponsors were aware that some honourable members of the National Assembly were guests at the Hotel Presidential, which is why they attempted to detonate an explosive device near the facility to give reason to support the call for a state of emergency when the matter is raised at plenary but they failed.
According to him; “As a matter of fact, let me tell you, I know of everything that is happening. Yesterday (Tuesday), they (protesters) were aware that you are in the state. So, there was an attempt to create a serious problem.
“In fact, there was a plan to detonate dynamite at the Hotel Presidential because you people were there. But this God that we serve, it happened that the man who was trying to do it detonated it but just a few seconds after, it blew his hands off.”
Governor Fubara asserted: “The idea was that as you were hearing the state of emergency, it will be so that by the time they finish when you return to have your sitting tomorrow (Thursday), the debate will be from somebody from this state who will call you people to tell you not to come.
“He will now raise the issue of a state of emergency, and say, after all, distinguished colleagues saw it happen while you were in Rivers State, that you saw what happened.
“But you see, when you are with God, even your own child who is planning evil, will go and tell somebody that, God is with this man because he is clean, this is what my father is planning. That is what is keeping us in this state.”
The Rivers State Governor wondered why it seems that the law is silent or inactive to take its course over offenders because somebody appears to be bigger than the law on the agitation because there is nowhere in the country where tenure elongation for former local government chairmen has been an issue.
Governor Fubara clarified that he is not fighting anybody but rather defending the state against predators, and protecting supporters of the interest of Rivers State against those who feel that they own the life of others.
The State Chief Executive pointed out that there is no governor in Nigeria who can take 10 per cent of the abuse railed at him by former local government council chairmen.
He said he has taken those insults and attacks in his stride without going hard at the purveyors because they plan to distract him, stressing that he has remained focused on delivering good governance and democratic dividends to Rivers people.
He said, “Where on earth can the tenure of local government chairmen be elongated? You were a former Governor, was it tried in your time? Even those of you who are Senators here, even in your own states, have anyone tried this before?
“Is it that the Constitution that governs Nigeria is different from the one that operates in Rivers State? These are the very pertinent questions we should ask.
“Why should it be that when it comes to the case of Rivers State, the law is always silent? Is it that there is somebody bigger than Nigeria? That is the question I want you to go back with.”
He insisted: “I tell you, we know everything that is happening, and you know it, everybody knows it. We should be bold enough to look at the faces of people and tell them the truth.
“I am not fighting anybody. If I am fighting, people will know that I am fighting: My pattern will change. What we are doing is to defend ourselves. We can’t just fold our hands. Only a tree will be standing and somebody will come and cut it off.
“It doesn’t happen as a human being. If you know that danger is coming, you shift. What we are doing is just to protect ourselves. So, Distinguished Senators, I am not fighting anybody.”
Fubara further said: “Somebody thinks or some people feel they own life. I don’t own life. The person who owns life is God. What we are doing here is to serve the people of Rivers State because God has given us this opportunity.
“It doesn’t matter the channel the opportunity came from. But the most important thing is God, and nobody takes the place of God in anything,” he added.
The Governor told members of the committee to factor in the interest of Rivers State.