President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening presided over a meeting at the State House, Abuja, of critical stakeholders in Rivers State politics with the aim of resolving the lingering crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his godfather and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
The meeting, which was at the instance of the President and had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, Governor Fubara, his predecessor, Nyesom Wike; former Governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili, Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, lasted for over two hours, before it rose at 8.17pm.
At the end of the meeting, an eight-point communique entitled “DIRECTIVES FOR THE RESOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL IMPASSE IN RIVERS STATE”, was jointly signed by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara; the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike; Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof Ngozi Odu; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule; PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka and his APC counterpart, Rivers State, Tony Okocha, directed that 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State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn immediately.
While all impeachment proceedings initiated against the Governor of Rivers State by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately, the communique said the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognized alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.
Other resolutions of the meeting include that the remunerations 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 interreference 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, and
-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 recognized.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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