How Unabated Political Crisis in Rivers is Crippling Governance, Developments

By Precious Ahiakwo-Ovie

Oil rich Rivers State in Niger Delta Region has been  enmeshed in protracted   political crisis  for several years but the latest political drama between the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike and his godson, Governor Siminilayi Fubara, is indeed, taking its toes in governance and developments  across the state.

Though the governor bragged on Sunday that despite the political upheaval , his administration is performing as expected by addressing critical issues of governance and furthering developments of the State.

The Governor spoke at the Thanksgiving and Interdenominational Church Service organized in commemoration of the 2024 Armed forces Remebreance Day Celebration  held in PortHarcourt.

The Governor said, he prayed to God to grant his administration grace to perform in a manner that when he leaves office , people will remember him positively not for negative purposes.

Despite the heartening words, political observers know that the Governor is grappling with serious difficulties to implement his administration programmes and policies.

It was gathered that the major incident that sparked the crisis between the duo just five months after Fubara assumed office was undue influence and interreference by the Minister on the governor.  He (Wike) was said to be detecting what happens in the State, the programmes and projects to be executed and the  ones to ignore.

Fubara,  coming from the  civil servants community  desires to implement people’s oriented  programmes, projects,that will  have direct impacts on the  people for example; the  revamping of the  Shonghai Farm,  the partnership with the  Bank of Industry (BOI) to invest N4billion facility  to drive sustainable economic opportunities  in the  state amongst others.

It was learnt  that resistance to some of the plans at a point became difficult for the  governor  to continue to tolerate and alas,  trouble started.

The crisis thread,  however, led to the  attempted impeachment  by 26 of the  32 lawakers who are loyal to the Minister who aaccused Fubara of wanting to ‘destabilise’ the structure that brought him to office.

The series of the melo drama has continued since then, leading to the burning of the hallowed chamber of the State Assembly Complex, its demolition, emergence of two factional speakers, Matins Amaehule and Edison Ehie and the  resignation of 10 0f the 18 Commissioners  loyal to Wike.

However, a month after the public fight, President Bola Tinubu called for a peaceful meeting between the governor and the Minister as well as other stakeholders from the State.

At the meeting, an eight point peace resolution which were all in favour  to Wike was signed by both parties including recognising Amaehule, Wike’s  loyalist as the authentic speaker, recalling of the resigned Commissioners, re-presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bll which has already been passed by  Ehie’s faction and assented by the governor  on December among others.

Though,  Fubara had admitted that implementing  the peace document  is not ‘a death sentence ‘ he also sated that  he didn’t sign the  documents  out of fear but observetions shows reluctance in implementing  the contents of the documents.

On Saturday, January 12, Wike said that his camp had fulfilled its part of the peace accord initiated by President Bola Tinubu.

He said this when he visited the Oba of Ogbaland in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers, His Royal Highness Eze Nnam Obi III.

He said: “We accepted whatever decision Mr. President has taken and we have on our own part fulfilled every condition given by Mr President because I told you I will not let you down.

However, some elder statemen, youth groups and former governor described the peace document as anti- democratic and have  vowed to resist it.

Ehie had resigned as speaker and member of the State House of Assembly though it was romoured that he has been appointed as the Chief of Staff to the State Government, a claim the state government officials are yet to confirm.

Meanwhile, the embattled speaker, Amaewhule and his group in their recent sitting, have demanded the re-submission of the state’s  2024 Appropriation bill , so far there is no response from Fubara nor any of his aid to the lawmakers on such demand.

Reacting to the developments, a Port Harcourt based political analyst Olalekan Ige, said whether the state governor will re-present the budget again or not, will be a whole new scenario.

He explained that “the unfolding scenario will be influenced by the passage of time. The Assembly asking for the budget to be represented will be dependent on a lot of factors. Remember the truce before President Tinubu, this was listed among the agreement. So the basis of which the Assembly is asking, whether the governor will represent is another scenario completely”.

Ige said the body language of Rivers people on the matter is tilting towards the Governor Fubara against re-presenting the budget twice, having signed it into law. “There are diverse opinion among Rivers people which is glaring. The people are more aligned to the governor and for him to carry on from where he stopped so that there can be some semblance of peace and progress in the state and her economy”.

For Dr Obinna Nwobin, a Lecturer of Political and Administrative Studies, at  the University of Port Harcourt, the issue of re-presenting the state budget is a dicey one.

Nwobin said, more of a constitutional crisis than a political issue. He said the name of the Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara will be recorded in the Guinness World book for signing an appropriation law twice, if he does.

“The defected lawmakers are asking the governor to present a budget he has already signed and presented to a legally approved Assembly with a speaker that the court has already pronounced. If he goes back to re-present the same bill that is already working, to another Assembly, he will end up entering the Guinness book of record.”

“This move when made, will make nonsense of his administration, and Civil Society Organizations are threatening legal actions against it”, he said.

CSO and the Law

Chairman of the Coalition of Civil Society Organization in Rivers State, Enefaa Georgewill, said “our arguments as civil society organization in the state is this: the governor cannot present the appropriation bill that is now a document, to former lawmakers, as far as the law is concern. Because the office of the governor is a product of law as such, all his action must be in accordance with the position of the law.

” Secondly, we are saying the governor cannot present one appropriation bill twice in a single year. If this happens, there will be one of the most legal fireworks that will be experienced. Our lawyers have been mobilized and they are already gathering documents, waiting for the governor’s move”.

Georgewill added “in the eyes of the law, Rivers State House of Assembly does not have a speaker, until the court decides otherwise. We are calling on INEC to come up with dates for a fresh election in the Assembly”.

Cross Carpeting

So far, the pomposity of major characters in the Political crisis in the state has largely swayed the attitude and actions of their teeming supporters who are slowly backing down despite the  savage quick-tempered exchanges  that have subjugated the social media space.

A Policy  analyst  and veteran journalist, Ignatius Chukwu said, “each time a political family breaks into two bitter camps, members would decide where to follow according to each person’s interests and where he came into the family in the first place. There is no rule to this.

Despite all the political hullabaloos, the deputy governor’s silence could be heard, and one wonders where her loyalty sticks.

Some commissioners under the Sim administration who came in through the immediate past governor, like the commissioner for health, urban development and one Chisom Gbali, literally declared their loyalty to governor Fubara by not resigning their appointments.

Ignatius Chukwu explained that “experience from 1999 has shown that it will continue to be so. Carpet crossing will also continue to occur between the two camps.

Economic Effects

“Political crisis from 1999 till date has had deep injuries on the socioeconomic development of Rivers state. The state has suffered divestment and lack of economic progress:investors have refused to come over since 2012 till now because outsiders are scared of coming in, why? The governments are always fighting. The damage is like a thousand army destroying the people,” he said.

On the President’s peace accord, A Policy and political analyst ,Ignatius Chukwu explained that the move of the President is for his political interest come 2027.

Chukwu said, “Talking about the President’s intervention, first thing the President will consider is his political interest. He will support the side he has interest. Presidents in Nigeria are not statesmen. Statesman look at tomorrow, the next generation. Presidents look at the next election. His question will be how do I benefit in 2027,

“If you think regional leaders will come and settle you, that’s a lie! So the more you quarrel, the more you hand down advantage to there states who wants to take over relevance from Port Harcourt.

“The only hope we have for such reconcilation and peace accords are the Monarchs, but it’s sad that most of them are attached to one political gladiator or the other. I don’t know where a force or authority will come and reconcile this Rivers political crisis. Therefore the political future of the state is bleak,” he said.

However,  the big question  is, will there be an end to Rivers political crisis?