Rivers govt clashes with lawmakers over move to sack commissioners

The Rivers State Government has rejected a directive from the state House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, demanding the immediate dismissal of all commissioners. The lawmakers had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, urging him to dissolve his cabinet and present a fresh list of nominees for screening. However, the state government dismissed the directive as unconstitutional and lacking legal merit. Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Tambari, criticised the lawmakers, stating they had no authority to issue such an order. “I was screened by Edison Ehie, who was duly recognized by the court as Speaker of the House of Assembly. Before then, this group of people had defected from the PDP and gone to wherever they went to,” Tambari said. He argued that after Ehie’s resignation, his successor, Victor Oko-Jumbo, continued the screening process, making all appointments legitimate. Tambari insisted that the governor was under no obligation to submit new nominations. “The governor cannot send any fresh list of nominees to this Assembly. Their demand for the sacking of the commissioners has been overtaken by events because all appointees were duly screened,” he added. Tambari also refuted claims that the Supreme Court ruling required the removal of commissioners, asserting that the judgment only addressed the 2025 budget presentation. “The Supreme Court talked about the budget, not about sacking commissioners. The presentation of the budget is at the discretion of the governor,” he stated. With tensions escalating between the executive and legislative arms, the standoff underscores the deepening political crisis in Rivers State.