- Two federal lawmakers lead youths in solidarity march for gov
- I must deliver on mandate, says Fubara
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, came under more pressure yesterday following the resignation of three additional commissioners from his cabinet.
Dr. Jacobson Nbina (Transport); Austen Ben-Chioma (Environment) and Dr. Gift Worlu (Housing) turned-in their resignation letters,worsening the crisis between the governor and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike.
Nine commissioners have so far dumped the governor.
However, two members of the House of Representatives from the state yesterday threw their weight behind the governor.
Awaji-Inombek Abiante from Fubara’s Andoni/Opobo/Nkuro and Boma Goodhead from Asari-Toru/Akuku-Toru led various youth groups to rally through the streets of Port Harcourt, the state capital in support of Fubara.
Some of the existing commissioners cited personal reasons for the resignations while others stated no reason but simply thanked Fubara for giving them the opportunity to serve in his cabinet.
On Thursday the Commissioners for Finance, Isaac Kamalu: Justice and Attorney-General, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor; Works, Dr. George Kelly-Alabor; Special Duties, Emeka Woke and Special Welfare and Rehabilitation, Mrs. Inime Aguma, left Fubara’s cabinet.
The Abiante and Goodhead-led protesters marched from the UTC Junction along Azikiwe Road through to Government House and ended at the State House of Assembly located on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
They urged President Bola Tinubu to call Wike to order ,claiming that the governor was being intimidated by the Minister because he (Fubara) refused to be loyal to a godfather but chose to be loyal to the people who gave him the mandate to govern them.
Abiante commended Fubara for taking steps to renovate the Rivers State House of Assembly complex and showing leadership amidst the political crisis in the state.
He said: “There have been some happenings in the state, we are here to encourage the governor and to tell Rivers people that this is the position of their representatives and offer explanation where necessary and also engage with our constituents to understand if there is any shift in the position that they have taken.
“There is always a prize to be paid for liberty and that is standing strong, standing firm. The governor decided after a structural integrity test that the chambers failed to give the Rivers people befitting chambers for legislative function and while that is ongoing an alternative has been provided.
“No king reigns forever, this is the time for another king who has been lawfully elected.”
Speaking to reporters at the protest march, the President General of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Benjamin Okoba asked President Bola Tinubu to call Wike to order and stop alleged political interference in the state.
Okoba threatened that the group would sabotage oil installations in the state should the ‘interference’ continue.
The 2023 governorship candidate of the Labour Party, (LP) in Rivers, Mrs Beatrice Itubo, asked the gladiators in the crisis to sheathe their swords.
Itubo, a former chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC,) said the crisis was scaring holiday makers away from the state
She said that she visited the governor to seek peace in the interest of people who he said were the casualties of the crisis.
She said: “Holiday seekers are no longer coming into our state, the hotels are empty, other businesses are beginning to feel the impact of the trouble that is going on and if we do not as neutral persons reach out to these gladiators and their fans now, a time will come when we will no longer be safe going out of our houses because of fear of being caught in the crossfire in the hostilities.
“May I ,as a mother and stakeholder in the governance of this state, appeal to the immediate past governor of the state, Nysom Wike, to as a matter of urgency and as a father to immediately leave whatever grievances he may have against the governor.
“And the governor too, should on his part caution his fans to stop all comments on and off social media that may tend to further exacerbate the already tense situation in the state.”
Itubo appealed to Fubara to engage more mediators to interface with all the actors, insisting that there must be sacrifice for there to be peace.
She said: “The governor should engage more mediators and peacemakers to help quell the situation and we must all understand that we do not have another state aside from Rivers State and the interest of Rivers State should supersede every other interest all of us has. We must make sacrifices for our continued peace and development.”
I must deliver on my mandate, says Fubara
A defiant Fubara declared yesterday that his administration was not fighting anyone and was only preoccupied with delivering on its mandate by taking care of the needs of the people, and protecting the interest of the state.
He spoke while kicking off the 20,000 housing units for low income earners in the State at Mbodo-Aluu, along International Airport Road.
Fubara said: “In protecting the interest of the state, his administration will continue to do what is right before God and men while encouraging a robust participation of the people in governance.
“For our people, I want to assure you, our government has nothing to do with fighting anybody. Our governance is to take care and defend our people. I can assure you here, that this is the beginning of our service to the people of Rivers State.
“It is not service to the elites, but to the poor and low income earners. Those are the people we want to stand with and we are standing with them from today.”
Fubara noted that his administration had started a new history with the 20,000 units of housing by giving new hope to Rivers people, particularly the poor.
He pledged that in a few months, the first phase of the project would be completed and the housing units allocated to the low income earners through a transparent process.
He said: “I want to also say it here, let it also be my own commitment that this facility, once it commences and gets to the stage of allotment, it will go to the rightful people and not one big man to allocate to his family. It will be transparent so that the targeted people will access and benefit from it.
“First of all, we need to give our people hope and today, I believe that everybody in our dear state has seen that light. How did we come about this magic? We opened our doors for negotiation and opportunities, knowing that government cannot do it alone. We had to invite people that are ready to invest in our state.
“I make bold to say it, Rivers State is a safe haven for investment. What we are doing today is to let the world know it, and not what you hear in the media. I tell you that Rivers State is safe and secured for anybody anywhere to come and invest. Your investment is safe in our hands.”
In his remark, the Acting Administrator of the New City Development Authority, Mr Aaron Obele said the 20,000 units of housing would seat on a 1000-hectare of land.
On his part, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of TAF Africa Global explained that the project was the largest housing initiative on a public-private partnership in Africa and the Rivers State government would not incur any financial cost in accomplishing the project.
