More commissioners have resigned from Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s cabinet in Rivers State as the feud between him and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, continues to take a toll on the oil-rich state.
A source close to Mr Fubara’s government told PREMIUM TIMES, Thursday night, that nine cabinet members have so far resigned from the eighth-month-old government.
Although the source gave the names of the officials who resigned, this newspaper could not run the story on Thursday since it was unable to independently verify it as of the time.
PREMIUM TIMES, on Thursday, reported the resignation of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacchaeus Adangor, and then followed by that of two others – Commissioner for Works, George-Kelly Alabo, and his Social Welfare and Rehabilitation counterpart, Inime Aguma.
Channels TV, Friday morning, reported that seven commissioners have so far resigned.
According to the television station, those who have resigned include the Commissioner of Transportation, Jacobson Nbina; Commissioner for Education, Prince Chinedu; and Commissioner for Housing, Gift Worlu.
Another television station, Arise News, reported that the Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, is among the officials who have resigned.
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The governor’s chief of staff, Chukwuemeka Woke, has also resigned, according the News Agency of Nigeria.
All the commissioners who have left Mr Fubara’s cabinet are said to be loyal to Mr Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who had influenced their appointment into the cabinet.
Their intention of leaving the cabinet is to weaken Mr Fubara and create credibility crisis for the governor because of the power tussle with the minister, some insiders told PREMIUM TIMES.
The Rivers State Government has yet to publicly react to the resignations.
Battered legislature
The political crisis in Rivers has taken a toll on the state’s legislature – 27 lawmakers who defected from the PDP, of which Mr Fubara is a member, to the APC, had their seats declared vacant by a factional speaker who is loyal to the governor. As it is, the House of Assembly is run by only four out of 31 members. The four lawmakers are loyal to Mr Fubara while the 27 are with Mr Wike.
On Wednesday, while Governor Fubara was presenting the state’s 2024 budget proposal to the four-member House of Assembly, the state government was demolishing the House of Assembly Complex.
Although the government said it decided to demolish the complex because the integrity of the building had been compromised after an explosion and fire incident which occurred in October during an attempt by some lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara, some people believe the action is to foreclose the 27 lawmakers from holding plenary.
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