‘I’ll stand by you’ — Gov Fubara assures commissioners, perm secs

Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State on Sunday assured commissioners and permanent secretaries in his administration of a conducive working environment.

Fubara said his cabinet members can function optimally without tension or health conditions like high blood pressure.

He spoke at a special thanksgiving service organised in honour of Dr Tammy Wenike Danagogo, Rivers’ Secretary to the State Government SSG, in Abonnema Town, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.

In a statement by Nelson Chukwudi, his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Fubara said a good administrator does not pressure his team into performance.

“I want to say that this administration that I am leading will stand by you. You don’t need to worry about the BP drugs anymore because I don’t intend to give anyone BP. There is no commissioner here that has BP. Before, you people used to have BP, but now, there is no BP. There is no permanent secretary who was always lying in the hospital and is still lying in the hospital now because there is no BP,” he said.

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This comes amid the governor’s intense face-off with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

The tension between Fubara and Wike had affected some local government chairmen in the state.

The chairmen loyal to Wike had refused to leave office after the expiration of their tenure.

In April, the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment Bill into law despite Fubara’s refusal to give his assent.

The amendment empowered the lawmakers to extend the tenure of elected chairpersons of LGAs and councillors where it is considered impracticable to hold elections before the expiration of their three-year term in office.

Despite declining to assent to the bill, the assembly vetoed his decision.

However, a court judgement nullified the amendment of the local government law.

After much back-and-forth, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission conducted the local government election.

The Action Peoples Party won 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, while the Action Alliance won one seat.