Mass Sacking! Fubara’s Officials Removed in Rivers
Ibok-Ete Ibas, Rivers’ sole administrator, has suspended all political officeholders appointed by the suspended governor, Sim Fubara, in the state.
In a statement issued by the chief of staff on the administrator’s behalf on Wednesday, the suspension was said to take immediate effect.
Those who are being affected by the suspension include state secretary, chief of staff, commissioners; chairmen and members of all boards, councils of agencies, commissions, institutions, and parastatals; and special advisers, special assistants, and senior special assistants.
The suspended officeholders will hand over to the permanent secretary or, where no permanent secretary exists, the most senior director will be in charge.
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“This is in exercise of the powers conferred on the administrator of Rivers state, His Excellency, Vice-Admiral (RTD) Ibok Ete Ekwe Ibas CFR, by the President, His Excellency, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR),” it stated.
A state of emergency was declared in the oil-rich state on March 18 due to the political crisis and instability in the state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He also suspended Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of the state; his deputy, Ngozi Odu; and all members of the Rivers assembly for an initial period of six months.
He immediately appointed Ibas, a retired naval chief, as the sole administrator of the state.
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Meanwhile, the PDP governors were in court on Wednesday to challenge Fubara’s and Ngozi Odu’s suspension by the federal government.
The governors maintained that President Bola Tinubu’s action was inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and subverted democratic governance.
In a suit framed against the suspension of Fubara, the governors of Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Enugu, Osun, Plateau, and Zamfara, begged the apex court to restore Fubara to the Rivers State governorship position.
The seven governors, through their Attorneys General, sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that “the President has no powers whatsoever or authority to suspend a democratically elected governor and deputy governor of a state in the federation of Nigeria, under the guise of or pursuant to the proclamation of a state of emergency in any state of the federation, including the states represented by the plaintiffs.”
They demanded that the apex court declare that the President had no powers to suspend a democratically elected House of Assembly of a state, pursuant to Sections 192 (4), (6), and 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
The appellants sought a declaration that “the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly was unconstitutional, unlawful, and in gross violation of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
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The governors argued that Tinubu lacked the statutory powers to suspend a serving governor and, moreover, appoint a sole administrator in his stead.
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