More drama seems to be unfolding in Rivers State, with indications that Governor Siminalayi Fubara will face additional challenges.
Another Factional Speaker Emerges
The crisis rocking Rivers State has taken an entirely new twist following the emergence of another faction speaker of the State House of Assembly.
The factional Speaker, Victor Oko Jumbo, representing Bonny Constituency, declared himself the new speaker of the State Assembly signaling the total collapse of the peace deal brokered between the parties by President Bola Tinubu, returning all involved in the impasse to the trenches.
This development might be a response to the opposition All Progressives Congress’ (APC) directive to the 27 Assembly members to impeach Governor Fubara.
Oko-Jumbo takes over from the former factional Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Eddison Ehie, who resigned as both Speaker and member of the House on December 31, 2023.
Ehie, who represented Ahoada-East Constituency 2 in the House, was later appointed as Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara.
The location where the election that produced Oko-Jumbo, a staunch supporter of the state governor, was held couldn’t be ascertained as at press time.
The emergence of the Bonny-born politician as the factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly came barely 48 hours after Fubara declared that the majority 27 members of the House, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as non-existent.
The governor spoke when a delegation of Bayelsa State political and traditional leaders visited him at Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday.
He had said: “Let me say it here, those group of men who claim that they are Assembly members, they are not existing. I want it to be on record.
“I accepted that peace accord to give them a floating (soft-landing). That’s the truth. There is nothing in that peace accord that is a constitutional issue. It is a political solution to a problem. I accepted it because these are people that were visiting me and we were together in my house.
“These are people that I have helped in many ways when I wasn’t even a Governor. Yes, we might have our disagreements, but I believe that one day, we could also come together. That was the reason I did it.
“But I think it has gotten to a time when I need to make a statement on this thing, so that they understand that they are not existing. Their existence and whatever they have been doing is because I allowed them to do so. If I don’t recognize them, they are nowhere, that is the truth.”
ALGON accuses Governor Fubara of withholding allocated
The Rivers State chapter of the Association of Local Government Areas of Nigeria accused Governor Fubara of withholding funds allocated for the 23 LGAs in the state.
This action, according to the state ALGON, has hindered their ability to carry out their duties.
The LG chairmen claim that the Governor’s actions are akin to abolishing local government councils in the state.
They also indicated that they are in support of the call for impeachment of the Governor by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Okocha, who had asked the Martins Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Governor.
The position of the state chapter of ALGON was made known during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Addressing journalists, Allwell Ihunda, the State ALGON Chairman and Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area said, “It has come to the notice of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, that the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has neglected, failed, and deliberately refused to hold the statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting which is the prerequisite for the release and disbursement of funds due to the local government in the State Joint Local Government Accounts.
“And has continued to withhold the statutory allocations due to the 23 local government councils of Rivers State since April 2024.
“And in the case of Emuoha LGA since March 2024 till date for no just course, thereby starving the third tier of the government of the funds required to discharge its statutory functions in the administration of the local government areas.”
Prepare To Vacate Office, Fubara’s Ally Knocks LG Bosses Over Impeachment Calls
A loyalist of Fubara of Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, has asked the Rivers State House of Assembly not to contemplate a fresh impeachment proceeding against the governor because such ambition will not succeed.
Ihunwo, who is the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria in Rivers State, said the youths of the state are on alert to resist such a move, which he described as selfish.
Ihunwo stated this at a press briefing in Port Harcourt, the state Capital, on Wedbesday.
Chijioke Ihunwo, a former Chairman of the youth group in Obio/Akpor, the local government area of the Speaker of the State Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said Governor Fubara has not done anything wrong to warrant an Impeachment.
The fresh call was made on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC in the state, Tony Okocha.
He asked Mr. Okocha who is also from his local government area to refrain from making such inciting comments in the interest of peace in the state.
He also asked the 23 Local Government Chairmen whose tenure will expire on June 18 after a constitutional three year term to prepare to leave office, despite the said amendment of the Local Government Law to extend their tenure.
The youth leader called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to watch closely the event in Rivers State and call the main actors, like the FCT minister, to order.
He urged Fubara not be deterred in executing his people-centred policies as the youths are ready to defend his mandate at all times.
The initial impeachment proceeding was halted when President Tinubu intervened in the crisis by reaching a truce between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike whom the Assembly members are loyal to.
In a recent outburst, Governor Fubara criticised the attitude of the Assembly towards his administration, saying that legislators only exist out of his magnanimity having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), by virtue of Section 109, sub-section 1, paragraph g of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Fubara to Rivers House of Assembly: “You will cease to exist as legislators if I so decide”
Fubara, on Monday, criticised the attitude of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly towards his administration, saying the members will cease to exist as legislators if he so decides.
He said the lawmakers are existing based on his recognition predicated on the Peace Accord initiated by President Bola Tinubu.
Governor Fubara stated this while addressing a delegation of political and traditional leaders from Bayelsa State who visited him at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, to seek and end to the political crisis in Rivers State and an improved relationship between both states.
Others on the delegation included the first Military Governor of old Rivers State, Alfred Diete-Spiff, who is the Traditional Ruler of Twon Brass in Bayelsa State, other Traditional Rulers, former Commissioners, former State and National Assembly members and PDP executives.
Governor Fubara told the delegation which was led by the former Governor of Bayelsa State and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Siriake Dickson, that he has been the one showing restriant since the crisis escalated in the state.
He said despite wielding state powers which he can deploy to achieve his aim, he has continued to act as the big brother in the face of intimidation and unwarranted attacks.
He said, “Those group of men who claim that are Assembly members are not Assembly members, they are not existing. I want it to be on record. I accepted that Peace Accord to give them a floating. That is the truth. There was nothing in that Peace Accord that’s a constitutional issue; it’s a political solution to a problem. And I accepted it because these were people that were eating in my house, these were people I have helped paid their children’s school fees when I wasn’t even a governor. So, what is the thing there?
“We might have our division but I believe that one day, we could also come together but it has gotten to a time when I have to make a statement that they are not existing. Their existence is me allowing them to exist. If I de-recognise them, they are nowhere. I want you to see the sacrifice I have made in allowing peace to reign in our state.”
He revealed that he had always been present at any meeting that was called to resolve the crisis in the state but after each meeting, he was met with a new dimension of the crisis from the opposing side.
He vowed to continued to be peaceful, acknowledging that power is transient.
Governor Fubara acknowledged the role played by some political leaders, especially his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in his emergence as governor but said that such efforts won’t make him to worship a man.
He attributed his emergence as divine, saying God can use anyone, including one’s enemy to accomplish His purpose in a man’s life.
He also decried the use of police officere to intimidate his supporters, despite showing restraint in the crisis.
Governor Fubara also decried how some of his commissioners were sabotaging him.
He said on an occasion, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri was the person who briefed him about an important information that a Commissioner was supposed to have informed him.
In his speech, the leader of the Bayelsa delegation, Dickson, highlighted the cultural and political bond between Rivers and Bayelsa, saying it is important both states stay united.
He called for the preservation of their historic connection, stressing that the creation of Bayelsa State should not lead to division but rather be an opportunity for mutual benefit.
Senator Dickson also commended Governor Fubara for his efforts to resolve the disputes between both states by paying the first visit to his Bayelsa counterpart earlier this year
Addressing the political challenges facing Rivers State, Senator Dickson called for collective responsibility from Governor Fubara and his predecessor.
He said Rivers State should be to the South-South, what Lagos State is to the South-West.
He also lauded the President’s intervention in resolving the political tension in Rivers State and asked both leaders in the state to seek wise counsel from other leaders in the state and in Bayelsa when the need arises to permanently resolve the crisis.
Dickson called on leaders of Rivers State to support both Governor Fubara and the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike to succeed in their respective roles.
Rivers Assembly Slams Fubara For Saying They’re Non-Existent
The Rivers State House of Assembly has once more vetoed Governor Siminalayi Fubara, by consolidating the Rivers State Local Government Amendment Law number 5 of 2015, 2023, and number 4 of 2024.
After the consolidation, the state lawmakers passed it into a unified law.
They said this is to cure all discrepancies in the individual amendments some of which include appointment into the board of the Local Government Commission, and the payment of political office holders at the local government level.
Speaking during plenary, the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, urged members not to be distracted by the Governor’s comments about them because he has absolutely no legal powers to say they’re non-existent.
He, however, urged them to focus on the task ahead and provide quality representation for their various constituencies.
Lending their voices to the call, the majority leader of the House, Hon Major Jack, blasted the governor for referring to them as non-existent while the deputy speaker condemned the governor’s remarks referring to them as unguided.
This is coming barely 24 hours after the APC Caretaker Chairman in the state called for a resumption of impeachment proceedings against the governor by the Assembly.
Governor Fubara had on Monday criticised the attitude of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly towards his administration, saying the members will cease to exist as legislators if he so decides.
He said the lawmakers are existing based on his recognition predicated on the Peace Accord initiated by President Bola Tinubu.
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