How Wike, Fubara fell apart

The riff between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his immediate predecessor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, which has led to the resignation of nine commissioners from the State Executive Council (SEC), is said to have been triggered by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT) handing over list of commissioners and their portfolios to Fubara ahead of his inauguration on 29th May.

According to findings by Saturday PUNCH, the incumbent governor had no input into the appointments as Wike was solely responsible for their selection and appointment.

A source, who is a close aide of the governor, to Saturday PUNCH the resignation of some of the commissioners was a confirmation that they were not Fubara’s choices, but were rather imposed by the FCT Minister, who installed Fubara as his successor.

The aide said: “Yes, the resignation of the commissioners has shown that they were not appointed by the governor. They were never his nominees. The list of the commissioners and advisers was handed over to the governor by the former governor with instructions on portfolios and offices to occupy. Even security agents were handed over to the governor with clear instructions on where to post them.

“Is there a way the governor can appoint commissioners, advisers and others and they will be resigning this way? It is not possible. Don’t forget that we are just about seven months in office. Commissioners appointed by the governor won’t leave”.

Responding to the claim by Wike that Fubara and all elected officials in the state did not buy nomination forms by themselves, the source said: “Yes, the former governor was correct to say he bought the forms for everyone. But pray, with which money? You know the salary of a governor and you know the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Let those who want to go leave, and the governor will assemble members of his team, and not moles planted to spy on the administration”.

The gale of resignation from the SEC continued on Friday with three more commissioners adding to the list. They are the commissioners for Transport, Dr. Jacobson Nbina; Housing; Dr. Gift Worlu; and Environment, Mr. Austen Ben-Chioma.

Their resignations were contained in separate letters addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government.

Both Nbina and Austen-Ben Chioma were also commissioners under Wike.

This brings to nine the commissioners who have so far resigned their appointments.

Nbina, who confirmed his resignation to Saturday PUNCH on Friday via the telephone said: “Yes, I resigned yesterday (Thursday)”.

Asked why, he said: “The reason is personal to me and my family commitments. I don’t have any issue with the governor. It is very personal”.

There were reports that their action was preparing the ground for them to officially defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Earlier, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor (Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice); Dr. Des George-Kelly ((Works); Mr. Emeka Woke (Special Duties); Mrs. Inime Aguma (Social Welfare and Rehabilitation); Mr. Isaac Kamalu (Finance); and Prof. Chinedu Mmom (Education), had resigned from Fubara’s cabinet

Mmom, Adangor, Aguma, George-Kelly, Nbina and Kamalu all served as commissioners under Wike and reappointed by Fubara, while Woke was Wike’s Chief of Staff for eight years.

APC Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state, Chief Tony Okocha said a formal launch of the new APC in the state was scheduled for this weekend, adding: “You will see the tsunami that will happen that day”.

Meanwhile, the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex continued on Friday with the hallowed chambers completely pulled down. Four bulldozers operated inside the complex, pulling down other adjoining buildings.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Joe Johnson said that the decision of the state government to demolish the complex built during the administration of Dr. Peter Odili was because, after the visit of the governor to assess the damage caused by the 29th October explosion, he contacted a firm that reported that the building had integrity issues and was unfit for legislative business.

“So, the government will rebuild the complex. But for the meantime, the state has provided a place for the lawmakers to be sitting pending when the building is completed”, Johnson said.

A team of policemen in a patrol van was stationed at the Assembly entrance, while both ends of the Moscow Road leading into the complex had security blockades though human and vehicular restrictions had been relaxed.

On Friday, the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Phillip Agbese said that the ongoing political turbulence in Rivers State had yet to be tabled before the Green Chamber, noting that until that was done, there was little or no intervention in the interim.

Earlier in the week, 27 lawmakers believed to be loyalists of Wike defected from the PDP to the APC, and Fubara, who appears ready to damn the consequences, wasted no time in demolishing the state House of Assembly complex, a move seen as a masterstroke to nullify whatever decisions the lawmakers are likely to take against him.

Things have since moved very fast with many top government functionaries resigning their positions in a replay of the Godwin Obaseki/Adams Oshiomhole feud in Edo State a few years ago.

The tension in Rivers State has led to suggestions of possible intervention by the National Assembly to restore order by taking over the role of the state lawmakers until the return of normalcy in line with the provision of Section 11 (4) and (5) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Subsection (4) provides, “At any time when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions because of the situation prevailing in that state, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that state concerning matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear”.

Subsection (5) reads: “For the purposes of subsection (4) of this section, a House of Assembly shall not be deemed to be unable to perform its functions as long as the House of Assembly can hold a meeting and transact business”.

Agbese told Saturday PUNCH: “It is true that there is a constitutional backing for the National Assembly to intervene where there are established instances of crisis in a state House of Assembly that is unable to perform its functions.

“The 10th House has not been notified of any crisis. If it is not formally aware, there is nothing much we can do by way of intervention in the crisis, but it is our wish that the matter will be resolved amicably so that Rivers lawmakers can go about the business they were elected to do by their people. This is all I can say for now”.