Gov Sim Fubara has called for a rethink by all parties to the political crisis in the state as the Nyesom Wike-backed lawmakers have finally sent the much-awaited impeachment letter to the governor.

The impeachment letters to both the governor and deputy surfaced on the floor of the House Monday morning March 17, 2025 and later got to the seat of power.

Reacting through Joe Johnson, the Commissioner of Information and Communications, said only a rethink will save Rivers State and its people.

The governor said instead of embarking on a futile image laundering by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) by wrongly claiming that he (Gov Fubara) who by all intents and purposes is prepared, willing and ready to re-present the 2025 budget and carry out full implementation of all aspects of the bizarre and utterly controversial judgment of the Apex Court for the sake of peace, is being misrepresented and painted in bad colour as not ready to comply with the judgment.

Addressing the press at about 2pm, Johnson said: ?Should this opportunity to pull the state from the precipice fail, the people and residents of the state without exception are bound to suffer avoidable calamities of economic, social, and political upheavals that might sink us deeper into unimaginable crises.?

In a lengthy statement, Johnson said it is common knowledge that members of the Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly have by their actions refused to allow the governor to fully implement the judgment of the Supreme Court on the long-drawn political and legal battle that has lingered since after the ill-fated attempt to impeach him on October 30, 2023.

?Right from when this unjustified onslaught against Gov Fubara started, the gentleman has never left anyone in doubt about his unwavering commitment to peace and resolute determination to put Rivers people FIRST over and above personal and/or sectional interests.?

Listing his steps so far, the government spokesman said a few days after the Friday, February 28, 2025 judgment of the Supreme Court on the consolidated cases touching on the seizure of federation revenue allocation due the state, annulment of the credible, free, fair and peaceful Local Government elections of Saturday, October 5, 2024, re-presentation of the 2025 budget to the Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly and the most contentious defection issue (which was never before the Apex Court, but surprisingly vaguely touched by the learned jurists of the 5-man panel), Gov Fubara has never left anyone in doubt about his preparedness not only to obey, but fully implement the Supreme Court judgment, no matter the unfortunate and unfavourable outcome.?

The Commissioner listed the actions from statewide broadcast declaring his intention to obey the court orders, the order dissolving the 23 elected local councils, the order on the Rivers State Local Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to commence fresh elections, the announcement of new election date with steps and processes. ?At that stakeholders meeting, the electoral umpire set the ball rolling for conduct of a fresh LGAs elections by releasing the elections timetable and elections guidelines, fixing August 9, 2025 for the exercise. This is in full compliance of the Supreme Court judgment ordering a fresh election into the third tier of government.?

He said the contribution of the RSHA was to go into a frenzy, issuing a 48-hour ultimatum to the State Chief Executive to re-represent the 2025 budget.

?But observers who are knowledgeable on legislative procedures saw this RSHA action as an aberration and abuse of legislative duties and privileges.

?While Rivers people were yet to digest the unfolding drama, the Amaewhule-led House issued another 48-hour ultimatum to the Chairman of RSIEC, the highly respected retired Justice, Adolphus Enebeli, who was appointed RSIEC Chairman by the former governor of the state and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike.

?They followed this bizarre action up with the issuance of a warrant of arrest of the gentleman and Commissioners of RSIEC.

Not done with that, they declared the appointment of 19 Commissioners by Governor Fubara as illegal, prompting the affected Commissioners to drag Amaewhule and his colleagues to court.?

He went on: ?As if they are bent on fighting at all fronts, these lawmakers who should be settling to the business of lawmaking for the good governance of Rivers State, accused the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Simeon Chibuzor Amadi, of age falsification, even inviting the operatives of the DSS to investigate him instead of reporting him to the Nigerian Judicial Council (NJC) the only authorized body responsible for investigation and discipline of judicial officers across the federation.?

The governor frowned at the action of the lawmakers who reported the same chief judge they screened now to the security agencies instead of to the Judicial Service Commission.

The governor said he still took further actions for peace to reign by writing personally to the lawmakers to give him a date to meet. He also said he had to use substituted service (newspaper publication) when the lawmakers continued to deny seeing the letters.

The governor recalled how he went to the House of Assembly complex to present the budget thinking the lawmakers have had a rethink but was locked out. ?It is thus worrisome to hear the lawmakers alleging that Gov Fubara did not communicate properly, falsely claiming that his letter to them was only read on social media! Haba!!?

He said the Rivers State governor is acting in good faith notwithstanding that false narratives were being peddled by the same people frustrating compliance with the judgment of court.

Consequences:

The governor and his team seem to remind the world of the likely consequences of the behaviour of the lawmakers who he said seemed bent on instability.

?To the chagrin of all right-thinking persons, the Assembly members announced that it was proceeding on vacation and Legislative activities adjourned sine die!

?It is glaringly clear that with the current actions of the House, the dire consequences and harsh realities that the civil servants, retirees and people of the state will face unimaginable economic hardships, as the government will be unable to pay salaries, pensions and other emoluments as well as perform other obligations at the end of the month, as both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation have been ordered to seize revenue allocations to the state until its judgment is fully implemented.

?The collateral damages of the actions of legislative arm of government in Rivers will be so severe as non-release of warehoused revenues due the state from the Federation Account will ultimately ground the operation of all sectors of the government.?

The governor?s reaction may fall on deaf ears as the Amaewhule-led House has already fired an impeachment notice to the governor and his deputy.

The speaker who received notice by 26 members of the parliament forwarded it straight to the governor as commencement of impeachment process. (BusinessDay)

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