Siminalayi Fubara, reinstated as Rivers State governor on Wednesday following the lifting of the six-month emergency rule declared on March 18, failed to resume yesterday.
This is as questions are being raised about the governor’s whereabouts.
President Bola Tinubu had declared state of emergency in Rivers at the height of the feud between Fubara and loyalists of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
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The emergency rule had seen Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu and members of the State House of Assembly suspended; and a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibot Ekwe Ibas, appointed as sole administrator of the state.
While members the House of Assembly resumed plenary yesterday, neither the governor nor his deputy was sighted in public.
‘Fubara ‘boycotted’ taking over from Ibas’
A credible source from Rivers State told the Daily Trust last night that Governor Fubara “deliberately” boycotted Port Harcourt, yesterday, so as not to take over the mantle of leadership from the administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.
The source, who is familiar with governance and constitutional matters, said: “It will amount to endorsement of the six months emergency rule if the governor were present during the final hours of the sole administrator in the state.
“As we speak, Fubara is not yet back in Nigeria, but he will return soon.
“The whole issue revolves around legitimacy. Already, the matter is in court and literally, the governor should not be seen as being part of the transition,” he said.
Around 6 am, the governor’s supporters from across all the 23 local government areas of the state had trooped out to the Government House in Port Harcourt with a plan of solidarity for him.
The crowd comprised members of the Simplified Movement, the governor’s political support group, including the recently sacked local government chairmen and the former factional speaker of the State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo.
They later left the Government House in the evening when it dawned on them that Fubara was not likely to resume as expected.
A former chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Ezebunwo Ichemati, who spoke to reporters, said: “Today is a unique day in Rivers State. The state of emergency declared by Mr. President has been lifted and the governor is being expected.
“When he lifted the state of emergency, Rivers people were happy. They want to thank the president for lifting the state of emergency so that the democratic governance will be restored.
“So we expect nothing less from both arms of government, executive and legislature. They are coming together to work and ensure that the dividends of democracy get to Rivers people.
“Rivers people are not just celebrating the return of the governor, but we also celebrating Mr. President, thanking him for ensuring that the state of emergency rule has been lifted.”
When contacted on the telephone for comment on Fubara’s whereabouts, his media aide, Omatsogunwa Jerry, said: “I don’t know. I cannot even respond right now. As it is, I don’t think I can respond right now,”
Attempts to speak to Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara’s spokesman, were also unsuccessful as his mobile telephone line was unreachable yesterday.
No law compels Fubara to resume immediately – Wike
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today yesterday, said there is no law compelling Fubara to resume immediately after the lifting of the emergency rule.
Wike said: “I am not his (Fubara’s) protocol officer. There is no law that says he must resume work today. He is a governor. I don’t understand the way we operate. Being sworn in today does not mean I will go to the office tomorrow.
“You don’t know what my programmes are. You don’t know where he is. Governance does not mean one must be in the office to govern.”
When asked to speak on Fubara’s whereabouts, Wike stated: “I am not his Chief Security Officer. I am not his protocol officer.”
He also said he spoke to the governor on Wednesday. “I told him I was leaving that night to come back, and he told me he was leaving this morning.
“So, I can tell you that, by the grace of God, peace has returned. And look at what the Assembly did today to set the tone — you can see peace; you can see we are prepared, for the interest of the state. Let’s move forward.”
Asked who initiated the call, Wike said it was not important who called, saying that what matters is that there is peace again in the state.
He said before the recent local government election in the state, the governor had travelled and told him that he would not be around “because his son had this engagement.”
Wike also said he had forgiven Fubara. “I have already said that we’ve been speaking. I will not engage with a man I have not forgiven. Everything is over. I am not a politician who says one thing today and another tomorrow. We must move forward,” he said.
Lawmakers ask Fubara to submit commissioner-nominees’ list, budget
The State House of Assembly, during plenary on Thursday, asked Fubara to forward the list of commissioner-nominees for screening and confirmation.
The lawmakers also asked the governor to immediately begin the process of putting together an appropriation law for the remaining part of the year in order to address current realities and ensuring the state’s budget reflects the current needs of its people.
This was sequel to a motion sponsored by nine members of the House who are House Leader Major Jack, Linda Somiari-Stewart, Sylvanus Nwankwo, Justina Emeji (Emohua Constituency), Barile Nwakoh (Khana Constituency), Igwe Obey Aforji (Eleme Constituency), Enemi Alabo George (Asari-Toru Constituency II) and Tonye Adoki Smart (Port Harcourt Constituency II).
The House leader, who read out the motion during plenary presided over by the speaker, Martin Amaewhule, noted that the emergency rule elapsed at 12 am on Thursday, adding that the decision restored all democratic structures in the state hence their demand for the governor to perform his duties.
The lawmakers commended President Tinubu for restoring democratic institutions in the state.
They said they would continue to abide by all the terms of the peace parley and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the interest of peace and good governance of the state.
House to probe expenditure under Ibas
The State House of Assembly also yesterday said it would investigate the management of the state’s finances during the period when Ibok-Ete Ibas served as sole administrator.
The leader of the House, Major Jack, who spoke during plenary, said the House resolved to ascertain what transpired in the last six months regarding award of contracts and expenditures from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state.
He said the investigation sought to provide a clear picture of the state’s financial dealings during the emergency rule.
