Eight-Point Resolution Puts Fubara, Wike In Check For Now

• Warring parties agree to embrace peace, return to ‘status quo’

An eight-point resolution midwife by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-inspired stakeholders’ meeting may have charted the path forward for the restoration of peace in Rivers State with Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his ‘godfather’ and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike agreeing to sheath their swords.

Though tongues are already wagging that the peace pact may have tilted heavily in favour of the immediate past Governor, insiders at the meeting maintained that there are adequate safeguards that would give Governor Fubara the needed space to manage state affairs without much interference from his political ‘godfather’

The disagreement between both political actors has almost brought governance to a halt in the troubled oil-rich State with loyalists taking positions to support their political masters and mentors in the ragging battle of wits.

Intervening in the State impasse for the second time within two months, President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening further engaged the contending forces while meeting with the key actors involved in the supremacy contest for the soul of the South-South State

Reports indicate that rising from the closed-door meeting, it was agreed that the State House of Assembly’s leadership of Martin Amaewhule shall remain the recognised one, alongside the 26 members who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Personalities present at the meeting included Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, the State Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Ordu, former Governor Peter Odili, and other key stakeholders, i

The resolutions were contained in a communiqué titled; “Directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State”, and signed by the Governor, his deputy, the FCT Minister Wike, National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, factional speaker of the Assembly, Amaewhule, PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka, APC Caretaker Chairman in the state, Tony Okocha.

The communiqué stated thus; “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by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately; All impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately;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.”

Furthermore, it was agreed that; “The remuneration 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.”

Before this latest intervention in the crisis, the situation in the oil-rich State had seen the demolition of the state House of Assembly complex; declaring vacant the seats of the 27 defecting lawmakers; a purported impeachment plot against Governor Fubara; Security blockades at the entrance to the State Assembly; a gale of resignation by pro-Wike commissioners from the State Executive Council; and the parallel sittings by the factional lawmakers.