President Bola Tinubu on Monday intervened again in the political crisis in Rivers state as he met Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The meeting agreed on eight resolutions to restore peace in the state.
The disagreement between Fubara and Wike has polarised the state House of Assembly, leading to the emergence of factional leadership.
At the end of the closed-door meeting, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the state deputy governor, Prof Ngozi Ordu, a former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, and some other stakeholders, it was agreed that the leadership of the state House of Assembly as led by the Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 26 members who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The communiqué was signed by the governor, his deputy, Wike, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, factional speaker of the Assembly, Amaewhule, PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, APC caretaker chairman in the state, Tony Okocha.
The communiqué titled ‘Directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State’ read, “All matters instituted in the courts by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately.
“All impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.
“The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
“The remuneration and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the executive arm of government.
“The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council, who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state, should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval.
“There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the local government administration is null and void and shall not be recognised.”
Before the latest intervention, the crisis in Rivers State has led to a series of consequences, including the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex, the imposition of security blockades at the Assembly entrance, the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, and a gale of resignation of pro-Wike commissioners in Fubara’s cabinet.
The President and some elder statesmen had intervened in the crisis earlier in October but it degenerated into a full-blown fight.
