On Monday, December 18, 2023, the political leaders in Rivers State, Nigeria, reached a truce after weeks of dramatic twists.
The meeting was held at the Aso Villa in Abuja and was attended by President Bola Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his predecessor Nyesom Wike, ex-Rivers governor Peter Odili, some traditional rulers from the state, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Over the past three months, Rivers State has been a theater of the absurd, with the state House of Assembly serving as the "boxing ring."
A rift between ex-Governor Wike and incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has caused a significant divide among lawmakers in the House, resulting in 27 of them leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This move has further intensified the political landscape in the state, with Wike currently serving as the minister for the central government.
The feud also saw the emergence of parallel sittings, an impeachment plot against the governor, the demolition of the Assembly complex, and a gale of resignations 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.
Resolutions:
After Monday’s meeting, however, the warring parties agreed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team, be withdrawn immediately.
Fubara, Wike, Amaewhule and other gladiators in the crisis signed the agreement according to Channels Television. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, also signed the document.
The Wike camp, the report states further, also agreed that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Rivers State House of Assembly be dropped immediately.
The parties in the feud, , it’s gathered, resolved to recognise the leadership of Martin Amaewhule in the Rivers State House of Assembly and not that of Edison Ehie.
The two camps agreed to recognise Amaewhule and his 26 allies who recently resigned from the PDP to the APC.
Other resolutions state thus:
“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.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment