By Olusegun Olanrewaju and Cross Udo
Reprieve came last night to troubled Rivers State following a meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu to stave off further pyre in the oil-rich state.
At the end of the trouble-shooting meeting, far-reaching directives were given to stakeholders present, including a former governor of the state, Peter Odili, via a communique.
Part of the recommendations of the communique was the mandate given to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to recognise the position of the 27 defected lawmakers who crossed ranks from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and for the governor to re-present the 2024 budget he presented to the four-member state House of Assembly to the full house.
This came as the Governor and his team were directed to withdraw immediately, all matters instituted in the court in respect of the political crisis in the boiling coastal state.
*All impeachment proceedings against Governor to be dropped
Also, all the impeachment proceedings about the matter have been referred to, for withdrawal, while the embattled lawmakers have been given the option of re-congregating at whatever location they may choose to perfect their business.
These, among other things, were some of the resolutions reached at the peace meeting to resolve the political impasse in the state, which was at the instance of President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The President had met with the state Governor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, Sir Peter Odili, and some other stakeholders from the state, in Abuja.
READ ALSO:Tinubu directs Fubara to resubmit names of pro-Wike commissioners to Rivers Assembly
Also present at the meeting were Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the deputy governor of Rivers State, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Recall that the FCT Minister, who is the immediate governor of Rivers State, was instrumental to the emergence of Governor Fubara and other elected officers from the state in both the state and national assemblies in the last general elections.
Wike and his entourage arrived at about 7pm and they went straight to the President’s office where the meeting eventually took place.
The disagreement between Governor Fubara and Wike has polarised the state House of Assembly leading to the emergence of factional leadership.
At the end of the meeting which lasted about two hours, eight resolutions were made.
*Lawmakers under Speaker Amaewhule will choose where to conduct legislative business
The resolutions include the immediate withdrawal of all matters instituted in the courts by the state governor and his team; immediate drop of all impeachment proceedings; recognition of the leadership of the state House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
The communique also provided that, “The remunerations 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.”
The resolution was signed by Governor Fubara, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the state deputy governor, Prof Ngozi Odu; NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, Speaker, Rivers State Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, PDP Chairman, Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, and APC Chairman, Rivers State, Tony Okocha.
