The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State has intensified as the House of Assembly, largely aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, takes further steps that could lead to the impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In a letter addressed to the governor, Speaker Martins Amaewhule called for the removal of 19 commissioners and political appointees who had not undergone legislative screening.
The Speaker also requested a fresh list of nominees for proper screening.
In the letter, signed by Amaewhule, the governor was accused of making “illegal appointments” without legislative approval, in violation of the 1999 Constitution and other relevant laws.
The development marks the latest escalation in the political crisis between Governor Fubara and the Assembly, which has seen increasing tensions over appointments and governance in the state.
Amaewhule specifically frowned at the inability of the Governor to forward the name of Dagogo Iboroma for screening as Attorney general and Commissioner of Justice in the state, stating that such appointment contravenes section 192 (2) and (5) as well as section 195 (1) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The letter, however, requested that the Governor should submit a list of nominees for appointment as commissioners into the Rivers state executive council as well as list of nominees for appointments to fill vacancies in all the offices within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon Sydney Tambari responded that the 27 lawmakers were acting on the stigma of their imagination, adding that they were over stepping their bounds and heating up the politiy even more.
Tambari explained that all the Commissioners were screened by the then Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Edison Ehie, now Chief of Staff, Government House, who was recognized by the competent court of the land as the authentic speaker of the House.
According to the former publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, “I was screened by Edison Ehie who was duly recognized by the Court as the speaker of the state House of Assembly. Before then, this group of people had defected from the PDP and went to wherever they went to.
After Edison Ehie’s resignation, “Rt. Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo took over as speaker of the House and he screened and confirmed some of the commissioners and appointees”, adding that the Governor cannot send any fresh list of nominees to this Assembly.
“Their demand for the sacking of the commissioners has been overtaken by event because all the commissioners and political appointees were duly screened. The Governor has no reason to send a list of nominees to them”.
Tambari took a swipe at the lawmakers when he said that they were acting outside the decision of the Supreme Court which talked about the 2024 budget and “not to come and sack commissioners and political appointees in the state. The presentation of the budget is at the discretion of the Governor which has since been overtaken by events”, he said.
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