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Rivers crisis: Wike, Fubara agree to end political feud
Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), and Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, have decided to stop their political war.
According to the resolutions made at the end of a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the State House on Monday, all parties involved in the Rivers dispute have agreed that all legal proceedings will be dropped.
All impeachment procedures against the governor were agreed to be withdrawn “immediately” in an eight-point resolution signed by Fubara, Wike, and other Rivers stakeholders.
They also agreed that Martin Amaewhule should be recognized as speaker, and that the 27 MPs who deserted should be reinstated as members of the legislature.
“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 agreement reads.
“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 represent 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 RIFT
Over the past few weeks, there has been tension in Rivers over the feud between Fubara and Wike.
In the wake of the crisis, the Rivers house of assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor.
Fubara’s loyalists kicked against the impeachment moves.
Thereafter, 27 lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Subsequently, Edison Ehie, factional speaker of the Rivers assembly, declared the seats of the lawmakers who defected vacant.