Rivers State House of Assembly has again raised the specter of impeachment against the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, threatening that will not fail to hit the hammer if it becomes the last resort in enforcing its responsibility and upholding the constitution.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Rivers State House of Assembly has again raised the specter of impeachment against the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, threatening that will not fail to hit the hammer if it becomes the last resort in enforcing its responsibility and upholding the constitution.
The Speaker of House, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaehwule, dropped this hint while addressing a news conference in Port Harcourt on Saturday. He was flanked by 26 of his colleagues while issuing the threat.
27 members of the House said to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have been at loggerheads with Governor Fubara since October last year.
This was sequel to the feud between Wike and his estranged political godson and successor, Fubara, who, the former considers disloyal. At a time, they had tried to impeach the governor but were dissuaded by reactions from five lawmakers loyal to him and other stakeholders in the state. A peace brokered by President Tinubu between the governor and Wike’s camp, equally helped in dousing tension in the state.
Amaewhule however accused Fubara of refusing to abide by all the Abuja peace agreements, pointing out that the governor had continued to act outside the law, including running the state without an approved budget.
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He also blamed the former Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council led by former Minister of Transport, Dr Abiye Sekibo, for casting aspersions on the FCT Minister in a bid to paint him black before President Tinubu.
He stated, “They must not forget that the Rivers State House of Assembly has the mandate of the people and that we swore an oath of allegiance to the Constitution to do the needful including the Impeachment of the Governor as a last resort.”
Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has however maintained that his government was focused on delivering good services to the people and meant “no harm to anybody in the state”.
According to him, all the measures taken so far by his administration are in the best interest of the state and for the general good of the people.
The governor, who stated this while felicitating with Christians on the occasion of the Easter celebration, said, “As a government, our conscience is clear. We mean well for Rivers people.
“We came prepared for seamless, people-oriented services to the state and we intend no harm whatsoever to anybody in the course of providing good governance.
“Let me thank you for your support and cooperation, even as we continue to work collectively to keep our dear Rivers State safe and secure for every resident and visitor. So, as you celebrate Easter, remember the reason for the season.
“Also remember to continue to put our government in your prayers at this time and always, so that collectively, we can achieve the goals we have set for ourselves in efforts to deliver on our mandate.”
Fubara went a step further late last week by getting leading PDP chieftains in the state to declare their support for him as the leader of the party in the state. The group accused Wike of plotting to destabilize the peace of Rivers State and vowed to stop him in his tracks.
Accusing Wike of corruption, the PDP leaders urged President Tinubu to keep an eye on him.
“We have nothing against Mr. President compensating Nyesom Wike with the office of Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. However, we owe the President a duty to explain some facts and advise him on the character and machinations of his appointee.
“We wish to let the President know that this appointee ran a kleptocratic government when he reigned supreme as Governor of Rivers State, and may do same in the Federal Capital Territory, if the President looks the other way. We strongly advise Mr President to keep a close watch on the FCT Administration”, the group stated in a release by Senator Abiye Sekibo.