| By Emeka Amaefula ATTEMPTS TO IMPEACH RIVERS STATE GOV. FUBARA FAILS AS RIVERS STATE DIVIDES AGAINST IJAW VS IKWERRE ETHNIC LINES As President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday 31st of October, 2023 intervened in the Political imbroglio rocking Rivers state occasioned by the much talked about removal and resignation of Rivers state Governor Siminialayi Joseph Fubara which took different turn on 29th of October, 2023 Sunday night when unknown arsonists threw what many suspected to be improvised explosives, popularly known as dynamite into the well-fortified ultra-modern Rivers state House of Assembly has now been doused with reprieve and assumed peace temporarily returns to Rivers state. This came as rumoured that on Monday 30th of October, 2023 that Rivers state House of Assembly will proceed with impeachment process of the incumbent governor who is allegedly a surrogate governor having been singlehandedly picked by the immediate past governor and now Minister of Federal Capital Territory FCT Abuja, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as his choice of Peoples Democratic Party PDP Governorship candidate and during the 18th March, 2023 Governorship election the emergence of Siminialyi Fubara was seamlessly supervised by Wike. With the swearing in ceremony on May 29th, 2023 as executive Governor Siminialayi Fubara toed the line of political programme as outlined by his predecessor with the announcement of the N200B Port Harcourt ring Road with over N150B paid out to Julius Berger Plc being 77 percent of the total sum of the contract. Hence the mantra and political philosophy of the administration of Governor Fubara has been Government of Consolidation and Continuity of NEW Rivers state. The word NEW has been political identity of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. Thus, it is expected that Governor Fubara remains on the same political programme already outlined for him by his godfather being Nyesom Wike but on few occasion in the 5-months period he had started to go astray by reviving Songhai Farms and other projects started by former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and recently by Friday 27th of October, 2023 the swearing in of 5 Commissioners as members of the state executive cabinet probably without the nods of his godfather Nyesom Wike must have angered him to have allegedly ordered for his impeachment process to begin on Monday 30th of October, 2023. And one sure step for the 24 loyal members of the RSHA began with the arrival of members as early as 8am and within a short time the Majority Leader of the Assembly Honourable Edison Ehie was purportedly removed paving way for the impeachment process of Governor Siminialayi Fubara to begin.For the troubled Governor Fubara who dressed in fez cap adorned with T-Shirt and Jeans trouser drove straight to the Rivers State Ultra-modern House of Assembly complex but was met with stiff presence of security officers who resisted his presence with his supporters. Which resulted to Police officer using kinetic means to repel the advancing team of Governor Fubara who alleged that he was shot at by Police DCP Ops. In a Press Release by Boniface Onyedi, Senior Special Assistance on Media to Governor Fubara stated that there was assassination attempt on His Excellency Sir Siminialayi Fubara. Inside Government House Port Harcourt about 8- members of House of Assembly sat and elected Honourable Edison Ehie as new Speaker and quickly suspended the Chief Judge of Rivers state Honourable Justice Simeon Amadi. The rumour of the Governor purported to have sacked and dissolved the elected 23 Local Government Council Chairmen as he announced the sacking of his Chief of Staff a relation of Wike and chief Security Officer who last served Wike as Governor of Rivers state which the Commissioner for Information and Communications Barrister Warisenibo Joe Johnson denied never happened but handiwork of speculators and fake news peddlers. THE POLITICAL DICHOTOMY WAR IN RIVERS STATE RESURFACES Before now, rivers state political landscape has been divisive along Riverine and upland dichotomy. Wike an Ikwerre ethnic group born haven come from upland and Fubara hails from ethnic Ijaw a Riverine coastal based dwellers. Political inclinations have leanings along this two ethnic geo-political groups among 14 others in Rivers state. The melodrama of impeachment and counter impeachment by the state politicians has set Rivers state to be identified by ethnic lines and political leanings jettisoned for selective interest. First Rivers state Elders Council Forum led by Sir Chief Brown Fabuwari Faka as President issued a Press Statement on Monday 30th October, 2023 where he stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should caution Minister of FCT Abuja Nyesom Wike from setting Rivers state into untold crises. The Rivers state elders Council Forum President stated that “prior to the arrival of FCT minister to Port Harcourt on Friday, there was absolute peace and order in the state. However, the presence of Wike and his matching order to members of Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach an innocent governor of Rivers State, has caused disaffection and a lot of crisis leading to breakdown of law and order.” And for the former Commissioner for Information and Communications and former Acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC Mrs. Ibim Semenitari in a Press Release she signed stated that “We must beware of elements whose sole interest is to cause mayhem in Rivers state House of Assembly as this will could only profit anti-democratic forces and leave the state starved of critical development. The state Legislature must be allowed to fulfil their constitutional role of driving critical development in the state via sound and tested legislation. To attempt to use the state House of assembly to sabotage an elected executive is destructive to good conscience and wellbeing of Rivers state.” For Elder statesman Edwin Clark “ I have been greatly disturbed by the reported development in Rivers state in the past 24hours. I have been reliably informed that there is planned plot to unlawfully remove the Governor of Rivers state His excellency Siminialayi Fubara who has spent 5-months in office.“I understand the sad episode is being orchestrated by the immediate past Governor of Rivers state and Minister of FCT Abuja, Mr. Nyesom Wike. And the intention is to remove the Governor and later ask his Deputy Professor Ngozi Odu to resign and install the Speaker of the House of Assembly another Ikwerre person as the Governor of the state. Let me warn strongly, we wont allow that to happen.” The polarized political situation in Rivers state is still at its nascent stage with abated situation on Monday 30th of October, 2023 no one knows who and what may reshape the tensed battle of wits and intrigues between Minister of FCT Abuja and his once political godson Governor Siminialayi Joseph Fubara.—————–Emeka Amaefula————+234(0)8111813069 |
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