Following last Thursday’s closed door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at Aso Villa, Abuja, the governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubura on Monday acquiesced to re-present names of nine former commissioners who resigned from the cabinet for fresh screening by the state house of assembly.
The commissioners, who are loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former governor of the state, Mr Nyesom Wike, had resigned in the heat of the crisis between Fubara and Wike.
Many of them previously served in Wike’s cabinet and retained the same portfolios in Fubara’s cabinet.
It was gathered that Tinubu had summoned the governor to Abuja when it was obvious that he (governor) seemed to have dilly-dallied about the implementation of the December 18, 2023 agreement reached between Wike on the one hand and Fubara, political gladiators in Rivers on the other.
The recall of the commissioners was part of the eight-point resolutions reached at a mediation meeting in Abuja headed by Tinubu.
As part of reconciliation, the governor was directed to reappoint the pro-Wike commissioners who resigned from his cabinet.
The invitation for re-screening of the commissioners was contained in a public announcement signed by the clerk of the house, Mr Emeka Amadi.
The letter reads: “The Rivers State House of Assembly hereby invites the following commissioner-nominees for screening and confirmation as members of the Rivers State Executive Council.
“Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), Dr. Jacobson Mbina, Dr. Gift Worlu, Mrs Inime Chinwenwo- Aguma, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, Prof. Prince Chinedu Mmom, Dr. George Des-Kelly, Hon. Isaac Kamalu, and Engr. Austin Chioma.”
“Nominees are to come along with 40 sets of curriculum vitae, photocopies of their credentials and their originals.”
In addition, they were asked to present themselves before the Assembly at 10 am on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
The state commissioner for information and communications, Mr Joseph Johnson, confirmed the invitation of the former commissioners.
“We had a meeting with Mr President. We had an eight-point agenda and we are trying to keep our own part of the bargain. It doesn’t matter who wrote or who didn’t write.
“It is part of our own bargain to respect the agreement reached with Mr President,” he said.
On whether the governor would also re-present the 2024 budget to the lawmakers, the commissioner said, “One step at a time. Any bridge we get to, we cross.”
