Rivers Crisis: Gale Of Resignations Hits Fubara’s Cabinet As Four Commissioners Pull Out
…Former Rivers Governors To Intervene In State Crisis, Says Ex-Gov George
..Tinubu’s peace deal has collapsed’ – Rivers APC caretaker chairman
….Rivers Assembly Crisis: Amaewhule convenes sitting despite court order
..Fubara Signs N800bn 2024 Appropriation Bill Into Law
The political tsunami sweeping Rivers State appears unabating as three more commissioners on Thursday resigned from Governor Sim Fubara’s cabinet.
The latest to pull out of the cabinet are the Commissioner for Works George-Kelly Alabo – who served in the same capacity under Nyesom Wike’s government – and the Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Commissioner Inime Aguma and their Finance counterpart Isaac Kamalu.
Their resignations – coming hours after the state’s Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice Prof Zacchaeus Adangor quit his post – were contained in separate letters to Governor Fubara.
“I hereby resign my appointment as the Commissioner for Works, Rivers State, effective immediately. My decision to resign is anchored on my conscience, personal philosophy, and professional ethics,” Alabo said in the letter addressed to the governor. “This decision was taken after deep introspection. I appreciate Your Excellency for the opportunity to serve my beloved Rivers State as Commissioner for Works.”
On her part, the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation cited “personal” reasons for her resignation from the cabinet and wished the current administration well.
“I hereby tender my resignation as the Honourable Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Rivers State on this day 14th of December 2023,” she wrote. “I thank Your Excellency for the privilege to serve in the State Executive Council. My decision to resign is personal and based on other pressing commitments. I wish Your Excellency a successful tenure and pray for best wishes in all your endeavours.”
The Finance Commissioner, however, did not state why he pulled out of the cabinet.
“I hereby inform you of my immediate resignation as Commissioner of Finance, Rivers State with effect from the date stated above,” he said in his letter. “I thank you for the opportunity granted me to serve our dear State under your administration.”
In his resignation earlier in the day, Adangor said the move was based “purely on personal decision”.
A Divided House
The wave of resignation that has hit the Rivers cabinet is the latest twist in the political crisis rocking the oil-rich state since the rift between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Fubara started. There is already a division in the Rivers State House of Assembly as the 32-member lawmaking body now has two groups.
Earlier in the week, 27 of the lawmakers – originally from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). But the leader of another group in the Assembly Edison Ehie declared their seats vacant in the wake of the defection.
Governor Fubara later demolished the Assembly complex, saying the structure which was gutted by fire two months ago was unfit. He thereafter presented the 2024 budget to the Ehie-led group at the Government House in Port Harcourt. A court had barred the Martins Amaewhule-led group who are perceived allies of Wike from using the assembly.
About two months ago, the Amaewhule-led group attempted to impeach Governor Fubara. But the move failed with lawmakers loyal to Fubara impeaching him and declaring Ehie as the new speaker.
While President Bola Tinubu had earlier waded into the crisis and met with Wike and Fubara in Abuja with Fubara saying the matter has been resolved, the fresh wave of resignation in the South-South State is another fresh plot in the impasse.
Former Rivers Governors To Intervene In State Crisis, Says Ex-Gov George
A former Rivers State Governor Rufus Ada-George says ex-governors of the state will intervene in the crisis rocking the oil-rich state.
Rivers has been in a political crisis for a few months following the impasse between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor Sim Fubara.
While President Bola Tinubu had earlier waded into the matter, the political tension in Rivers State has now taken another dimension. But Ada-George believes former governors of the state can prevail on the actors to sheathe their swords.
“We are hopeful that with the experience we have and the knowledge of the persons involved, the former governors will be able to prevail on them and see reasons why the case must be handled and tackled soonest,” he said on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to him, when the crisis erupted in October, the former governors tried to reach out to the parties involved. While contact was made with Fubara, the elder statesman said they have not been able to speak with Wike who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“We made efforts and reached out to the governor [Siminalayi Fubara] but we have not been able to have personal contact with the minister of the FCT,” Ada-George said but maintained that stakeholders in the state are “still hopeful” that the crisis will be resolved soonest.
Rivers Assembly Crisis: Amaewhule convenes sitting despite court order
More drama seems to be unfolding in the crisis involving the Rivers State House of Assembly.
This time, the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Thursday convened a sitting.
The plenary session was held at the auditorium of the Assembly quarters on Aba Road, Port Harcourt.
This is despite an existing court order that restricted Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker of the House and the demolition of the Assembly complex by the Rivers State Government for renovation after a fire incident that affected the hallowed chamber.
The Amaewhule-led faction of the Assembly condemned the demolition of the Assembly complex by the state government.
The lawmaker representing Andoni constituency, Ofiks Kagbang, moved a motion of urgent public importance condemning the demolition, which was unanimously adopted by the House.
Salient Times reports that 26 lawmakers attended the Thursday sitting led by Amaewhule, former Speaker of the House.
The lawmakers during sitting, passed the Rivers State House of Assembly Funds Management (Financial Autonomy) Bill, 2023.
The bill was passed after they debated on the report of the House Committee on Public Accounts.
Commenting on the report which was presented by Major Jack, Amaewhule, emphasized the importance of the passage of the Bill, which he noted will provide for the management of funds accruing to the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State.
Amaewhule said the law will ensure accountability and efficient utilization of funds.
The House also passed the Rivers State Local Government Law, No. 5 of 2018 (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after a debate on the report of the House Committee on Local Government which was presented by the Chairman of the Committee, Ignatius Onwuka.
Meanwhile, the Amaewhule faction of the state Assembly, via a motion, adopted and converted the auditorium of the House of Assembly quarters as its hallowed chamber.
Fubara Signs N800bn 2024 Appropriation Bill Into Law
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Thursday, signed into law, the 2024 Appropriation Bill of N80bn a day after he presented the budget estimates to the State House of Assembly led by Edison Ehie.
Ehie and his loyalists subsequently approved the bill and the governor assented to it on Thursday.
The signing ceremony was held in the conference room of the Governor’s Office at the Government House.
The ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu; some metres of the State Executive Council, present and former lawmakers who support Governor Fubara, and some chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Local Government Areas.
The governor in his address said the estimated N800bn, tagged, ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’ will be well implemented to provide critical infrastructure like the second phase of the landmark Trans-Kalabari road and meet the socio-economic needs of the people.
On his part, Edison Ehie, one of those contending the Speakership seat in the Rivers State House of Assembly, commended the governor’s foresight in expanding infrastructure and youth development through employment generation.
The governor had on Wednesday presented the budget estimates to five lawmakers led by Ehie, after the controversial demolition of the Assembly complex.
The Ehie-group had also declared vacant, the seats of the 27 members that defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ehie and Martins Amaewhule have been embroiled in a Speakership tussle that is in court.
