A fresh wave of resignations has hit the Rivers State Government headed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara as five more commissioners, who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have resigned from the governor’s cabinet.
Those who resigned are Chinedu Mmom (from the Ministry of Education), Gift Worlu (from the Ministry of Housing) and Jacobson Nbina (from the Ministry of Transport).
Inime Aguma resigned as the Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation saying “there is no room for progressional development in the work place”.
Austin Ben-Chioma also resigned as the Commissioner for Environment “due to the political crisis befalling our dear Rivers State and other personal reasons”.
Mmom and Worlu cited a toxic working environment as the main reason for their exit while Nbina cited “unresolved political crisis” in the state as his reason for exit.
The five persons were among the commissioners who first resigned from the governor’s cabinet last December in the wake of the political crisis in the state but were readmitted into Fubara’s cabinet following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention.
Earlier, three commissioners, Zacchaeus Adangor, Emeka Woke and Alabo George-Kelly also resigned from the Ministries of Justice, Special Projects and Works respectively.
Governor Fubara recently announced a plan by his administration to set up a panel of inquiry to probe the governance of the state under the Wike administration.
The governor accused his opponents of deliberately sabotaging his administration while he was hoping that the issue in the state would be resolved amicably.
The move was the latest twist in the political crisis rocking the oil-rich state. The development has seen a deepening of the feud between Fubara and the state House of Assembly.
Last week, lawmakers loyal to the governor elected a new speaker. Fubara had also issued an executive order relocating the sitting venue of the Rivers State House of Assembly to the Government House, citing safety concerns.
The feud is due to the fallout between Fubara and his predecessor and current Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike. President Tinubu had waded into the crisis last year but the imbroglio appears to be far from over.