Ex-Rivers governor kicks against appointment of administrators for local councils

A former Governor of Rivers State, Ada George, has accused the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, of masterminding the declaration of emergency rule in the oil-rich state.

Mr George served as Rivers governor from 1992 to 1993 and is currently the chairperson of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum.

President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in the state last month and suspended all elected officials, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The president cited the oil pipeline attack and the protracted political crisis in the state caused by the political feud between Messrs Fubara and Wike as the reason for declaring the emergency rule.

But Mr George, at a press briefing on Wednesday, accused Mr Wike of masterminding the state of emergency in the state.

“The FCT Minister is the architect of all these things,” Mr George said, according to a report by Channels TV.

“He could set ablaze states where the governors did not share his views. And that is exactly what I think he is trying to do in Rivers State. Enough is enough. We will not allow him to set Rivers State ablaze anymore,” Mr George added.

Appointment of sole administrators for LGs illegal – George

Rivers State administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, announced on Tuesday the appointment of sole administrators for the 23 local government areas in the state.

Mr Ibas, a retired vice admiral of the Nigerian Navy, also replaced the chairperson and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission members.

Mr George told reporters that the appointments of sole administrators for the local councils was illegal and vowed to challenge it in court. He claimed the appointments were made after Mr Wike allegedly met with Mr Ibas.

“He (referring to Mr Wike) was reported to have been here on the 7 April, Monday evening, traversing the whole place, visiting the military administrator. Then, following that, this announcement came through.”

“The appointment of sole administrators is unconstitutional. There are laid down legal processes for constituting local government leadership. This action undermines those principles.

“We cannot go physical… but we will resist in any form that will attempt to disrupt or disorganise this state. We will go to court where necessary. We have cases in court at the moment, and we will continue,” Mr George said.

Mr George now speaks like children – Wike

Reacting to the allegation of masterminding the emergency rule in Rivers, Mr Wike said that the former governor, Mr George, was speaking like “children who lost their most priced toys.”

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, said it was funny that Mr George, whom he claimed was among those clapping for Governor Fubara for withholding lawmakers’ salaries, was now talking about who should be blamed for the state of emergency in the state.

“When Fubara was orchestrating the burning and demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly, supposed elders like Ada George were hailing him. They were telling him it was normal for three members to run a House of Assembly of 32 members, with 11 as a quorum of one-third that can sit and 22 as two-thirds that can pass budgets.

“When the president intervened in the crisis and resolutions signed by all parties, this same Ada George described the President’s intervention as ‘executive rascality.’

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“He (Ada George) went further to say that the intervention by the President ‘contravened the doctrine and practice of separation of powers and unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’ They were everywhere calling the President a meddlesome interloper and hailing Fubara,” the minister said.

Mr Wike said Governor Fubara’s “lawlessness” resulted in the imposition of emergency rule in the state. He added that elders who had failed to act like “real elders” are sobbing like children.

The minister said that the moment an elder takes sides when they should be neutral in a conflict between two children, such an elder has lost the right to intervene and resolve the conflict.