As the spat between the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and his predecessor, Siminalayi Fubara rages, a fresh wave of resignations has hit the Rivers State government as five more commissioners loyal to Wike, who is also the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resigned yesterday from Fubara’s cabinet.
Those who resigned are Chinedu Mmom (from the Ministry of Education), Gift Worlu (from the Ministry of Housing), and Jacobson Nbina (from the Ministry of Transport).
Inime Aguma also resigned as the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation saying: “There is no room for progressional development in the workplace.”
There was also Austin Ben-Chioma who resigned as the Commissioner for Environment “due to the political crisis befalling our dear Rivers State and other personal reasons”.
Mmom and Worlu, while giving the reason for their resignation cited a toxic working environment for their exit while Nbina gave an “unresolved political crisis” in the state as his reason for leaving the cabinet.
The five persons were among the set of commissioners who first resigned from the governor’s cabinet last December in the wake of the political crisis in the state. They were, however, readmitted into Fubara’s cabinet following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention.
Earlier, three commissioners, Zacchaeus Adangor, Emeka Woke, and Alabo George-Kelly had resigned from the Ministries of Justice, Special Projects, and Works respectively.
Governor Fubara earlier in the week announced a plan to set up a panel of inquiry into the governance of the state under Wike’s administration.
Fubara had accused his political opponents of deliberately sabotaging his administration while he said he had hoped that the issue would be resolved amicably.
Yesterday’s resignation was the newest twist to the political crisis assailing the oil-rich state, a development that may worsen the feud between Fubara and the state House of Assembly.
Some lawmakers loyal to Fubara last week, chose a new speaker. Just as the governor gave an executive order for relocating the state Assembly chamber to the Government House.
