To restore peace and curtail the showdown between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, stakeholders in Rivers State have agreed on eight resolutions after an intervention by President Bola Tinubu.
Rivers State had become polarised since the feud between Fubara and Wike ensued, this has led to factional leadership in the state House of Assembly.
On Monday, President Bola Tinubu intervened again in the political crisis in the state as he met the two key personalities in the supremacy battle.
At the end of the closed-door meeting, attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the state deputy governor, Prof Ngozi Ordu, a former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, and some other stakeholders, it was agreed that the leadership of the state House of Assembly as led by the Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 26 members who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The communiqué was signed by the governor, his deputy, Wike, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, factional speaker of the Assembly, Amaewhule, PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, APC caretaker chairman in the state, Tony Okocha.
The communiqué titled ‘Directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State’ read, “All matters instituted in the courts by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately.
“All impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.
“The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
“The remuneration 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.”
Earlier in October, the President and some state leaders intervened in the crisis, however, it soon degenerated into a full-scale battle.
