• Ehie sworn in as Chief of Staff
• Rivers lawmakers condemn gov’s recent appointments
Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has sworn-in the ex-factional Speaker, Ehie Edison as the Chief of Staff to Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Governor also threatened that there will be consequences should the returnee commissioners loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who were sworn-in last week attempt to work against his administration to destroy it.
Fubara stated this shortly after swearing in Ehie and five special advisers at the Executive Chambers of Government House, in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The swearing in of Ehie, the closest ally to Fubara who saved him from attempted impeachment, is coming a month after he resigned his position as Speaker, vacating his seat as a member representing Ahoada-East Constituency 2, at the state Assembly.
The former Chief of Staff, Chidi Amadi, who is a kinsman to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom, resigned from the position at the heat of the political crisis between Fubara and Wike.
Ehie, after his resignation, was allegedly appointed into the same position but the report was not confirmed till yesterday.
However, members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have condemned the appointments made by Fubara, saying they are not in line with extant laws.
The lawmakers, at their 100th legislative sitting, yesterday, frowned on the appointment of Goodlife Ben as acting Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Dr. Ine Briggs as acting Director-General of the Bureau for Public Procurement and Tonte Davies as acting Administrator of New Cities Development Authority.
They expressed displeasure when the Majority Leader of the House, Major Jack, drew the attention of the Assembly to a government special announcement in that regard.
Members commented on the information and pointed out that the governor, in the exercise of his powers, has relegated the laws to the background, while citing relevant sections of the laws.
Speaking on the appointments, the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, stated that the actions of the governor in appointing someone to act as the Administrator of New Cities Development Authority, a body not known to any legislation in the state, is condemnable.
Amaewhule further stated that the appointment of an acting Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, and an acting Director-General of the Bureau for Public Procurement are acts inconsistent with provisions of relevant establishment laws of the Commission and the Bureau.
He wondered why the governor would deliberately act in violation of extant laws and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered, knowing that such acts constitute misconduct.
