Sim was a teacher squatting with a relative in Elelewon, PH when an acquittance introduced him to Wike who was then the chair of Ohio Akpor Local Government Area in 2000. By 2001 Wike employed Sim as an accountant in the local government and their strategic relationship started. In his 2nd term he retired the chief accountant of the local government and appointed Sim in his stead. Sim from 2003 was the Man Friday of Wike and did his bidding.
When then Governor Rotimi Amaechi appointed Wike the Chief of Staff, Sim was brought on board as the Cashier of Government House and became the Man Friday of Amaechi and Wike financially speaking. He handled the books and did the doctoring faithfully without shenanigans. He was absolutely loyal. He served his ogas faithfully without blinking an eyelid or asking for a cut. This earned respect for him from Amaechi and Wike.
After his stint as Minister of State Education in Abuja and his fallout with Amaechi Wike floated a political machine, the Grassroots Development Initiative ( GDI) which was a political revolution of sorts and galvanized an unprecedented followings from the entire local governments of the State and with the backing of the the then president Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Patience the stage for state capture was set. Interestingly, Jonathan lost the presidential election but the anointed candidate of the incumbent governor Amaechi was toast and by crook and by hook Wike pulled a political stunt and defeated the APC and thus began his political control of Rivers State on May 29th 2015. One of the first things he did was to control the purse strings of the State by retiring the Accountant General of the State and appointing Sim in his place. He worked with Sim for the eight years he was the governor of Rivers State.
As the end of his tenure was approaching Wike was frozen with fear. He has built an unparalleled political structure across the State that was endangered and he has acquired assets and wealth that must be secured. He was not unaware how powerful governors were made prostrate by their successors. He held endless meetings with his most trusted allies like Sergeant Awuse, Ferdinand Alabrabra and OCJ Okocha to shop for a successor. Wike loves his wife but never involved her in his politics. She was of the opinion that the process should be thrown open and whoever wins the primaries should carry the gauntlet but Wike a garrison politician would not take the risk. There were about ten front line aspirants but two were the most forceful; Tammy Danagogo and Felix Obuah. Wike wasn’t comfortable with the duo seeing them as seasoned politicians and Machiavellian characters. That’s when the thought of a Dark Horse entered his mind. Siminalaye Fubara the yes man who has been behind the scenes as a civil servant servicing him without asking for anything began to cross his mind. He discussed it first with Eberechi Suzette nee Obuzor daughter of a renowned physician and wife of his youth. Suzette is demure and understands her husband and avoids any conflict with him knowing him to be hot tempered but she calmly told him not to try it that you don’t know a man until you give him power. For weeks Wike was troubled in spirit. His wife seldom interferes in his politics even when he seeks her counsel and whatever she says usually turns out spot on. But Sim’s loyalty was unquestionably strong. Despite the plum position as Accountant General Sim was living in a modest rented house in Woji. Sim it seems was uninterested in power and money exuding uncommon detachment and contentment. Do you know that it was in 2022 that Wike had to award a contract to urgently build a house in GRA for Sim?
Wike zeroed on Sim and anointed him his successor. The uproar that greeted his decision was deadening. Sim was rejected by the kitchen cabinet and the inner caucus and the people of Rivers received the news with skepticism. Politicians paid bloggers to go to town painting Fubara in dirty colors and insinuating that he is the nephew of Wike. But Wike stood his ground and used carrot and stick to whip his political structure in line. This is something that should be studied in political science how Wike was able to meander through the booby traps set on the path of installing Sim as Governor. Tammy Danagogo wrote a scathing petition to the EFCC indicting Sim for financial crimes all in the bid to truncate his candidacy. Guess what? When Sim fell out with Wike it was Tammy Danagogo he appointed as Secretary to the State Government!
Wike brought Sim to secure his political structure. The problem between Wike and Sim is politics, not money. Sim talking about money is playing politics. When you dash person goat you give the person the rope. In the case of Wike and Sim the goat wasn’t a gift but “look am for me”. So, Wike held on to the rope. The House of Assembly is the rope. Give it to Wike he’s a Master Politician who hopes for the best but prepared for the worst. Sim underestimated Wike. Sim became driven by hubris and the allure of governorship and shifted the goalpost in the middle of the tournament only to discover that the defense and flanks of Wike was impregnable.
The rest is history. After all the back and forth Wike won at the Supreme Court and the State of Emergency is his hat trick. I’m not being prophetic but Sim is a goner head or tail. The State of Emergency will last for at least one year and if Sim is reinstalled he’ll be a sitting duck for impeachment having been lame duck in the period of lacuna.