Rivers Justice Commissioner, Zacchaeus Adangor, resigns after redeployment
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Rivers State, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, has rejected his redeployment following the cabinet reshuffle by the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara amidst the ongoing crisis in Rivers.
TheNiche had reported on Tuesday that even as the political crisis rocking Rivers State simmered, Governor Siminalayi Fubara had reshuffled his cabinet.
The Governor, in a statement on Tuesday night by the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, redeployed the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office).
Fubara also sent the Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment.
The Governor asked them to immediately hand over to their respective permanent secretaries.
He said: “They are to hand over to their respective permanent secretaries immediately as this deployment takes immediate effect. All had over processes must be completed immediately”.
But Adangor in a letter addressed to the Secretary to Rivers State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo, not only rejected the redeployment but also resigned his membership of the State Executive Council.
In his letter of rejection and resignation, Adangor said he was no longer willing to continue to serve in Fubara’s administration in any capacity whatsoever.
He said Fubara had in the past couple of weeks interfered with his job as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
He said Fubara directed him not to defend, oppose or appear in suits instituted against his office and the Rivers Government by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the government.
He said: “I want to state for the records that I am no longer willing to continue to serve in the administration of His Excellency, Sir. Siminalayi Fubara in any capacity whatsoever.
“It is important to mention that the Governor of Rivers State in the past couple of weeks willfully interfered with the performance of my duties as the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice by directing me not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits instituted against the Attorney-General and the state government by individuals admittedly hired and sponsored by the government of Rivers State.
“Having served the government and good people of Rivers State dutifully, as a member of the Rivers State executive council for five years, it has become imperative for me to quit the administration in order to preserve my reputation. I wish the administration of His Excellency well.”