By Babs-Oluribigbe Adeoye
The political crisis in Rivers State may have been ‘partially’ brought to an end in Abuja on Monday night as warring parties reached a truce over the disturbing situation.
But whether this truce will last is what many don’t know for now as the large numbers of Rivers state people have been expressing mixed reactions over the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.
At the meeting, which the president played a father figure, to discuss the raging political crisis in the state, certain resolutions were reached and signed by both parties.
WesternLifeNewsNG however learnt that fundamental issues leading to the crisis were left untouched.
Meanwhile, almost all the resolutions seem to be in favour of the immediate past governor of Rivers, Mr Nyesom Wike, which has raised serious doubt about the genuine intention of the ‘convener(s)’ over the whole saga.
The meeting was attended by Rivers Governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara; his Deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu; a former governor of the State, Peter Odili and the immediate past governor now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesome Wike, and other stakeholders.
On the federal government side were the vice president, Kashim Shetima, chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu
Among the 8 point resolutions signed at the end of the meeting was the immediate withdrawal of all lawsuits instituted in the courts by Fubara and his team regarding the political crisis in Rivers State.
Most curious was the clear order given to the governor to reinstate the commissioners who voluntarily resigned from his cabinet, in show of solidarity to their ‘appointor’ and benefactor in the person of Wike, seen by many as a principal actor in the crisis.
The governor was asked to resubmit their names to the House of Assembly for approval.
The resolution was signed by Fubara; his deputy, Ordu; Wike; Ribadu; factional Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly, Martin Amaewhule; Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, and his All Progressives Congress Chairman, Tony Okocha.
Another directive to the governor was the re-presentation of the 2024 appropriation bill he had earlier presented to the four-member state House of Assembly to the full House.
Meanwhile, the meeting had directed that all impeachment proceedings initiated by the Rivers Assembly against Fubara should be dropped immediately.
The eight-point resolutions 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 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 political crisis in the oil rich state of south south region began with the attempt to impeach Governor Fubara by Wike’s loyal members of the state house of assembly.
The crisis led to burning part of the assembly’s complex, which was later demolitshed on the directive of the governor.
Since the crisis started, nine cabinet members, believed to be the appointees of Wike have resigned, but now likely to return, courtesy of Tinubu’s intervention.
