Stakeholders and opposition parties in Rivers are expressing concerns over the inability of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to constitute a full cabinet and the seeming slow pace of effective governance of the state six months after he was sworn into office.
Fubara has not appointed commissioners to oversee the Environment, Information and Communications, Budget Economic and Planning, Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, Land and Survey, Culture and Tourism, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Water Resources, Housing and Rural Development among other critical ministries since he assumed office over six months ago.
Reacting to the situation, the Rivers spokesman for the All Progressives Congress, APC, Darlington Nwauju, said the delay in the appointment of Commissioners was a result of Fubara’s lack of vision and preparedness to govern the State.
“The Governor has no clear blueprint for the development plan of the State. Commissioners in Ministries are to interpret the governor’s vision in various sectors. You can learn on the job. You must have a clear-cut vision for the people you want to govern. The delay in appointing competent men and women into various Ministries shows the lack of preparedness to govern the people of the State,” Nwauju said.
The Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party in Rivers, Gogo Wellington agreed with his APC counterpart that the delay by Fubara in constituting his full cabinet shows a lack of readiness for governance.
“If at this moment the Governor has not constituted a full cabinet, it shows that maybe another hand is controlling the affairs of the state. If indeed the governor is in charge of the affairs of the state, it should not take him time to constitute a full cabinet that will run the affairs of the state.
“If indeed the governor is fully in charge, the appointment of Commissioners and Special Advisers should have been long concluded by now. As it were, he was sworn in as Governor in May and we are at the tail end of October and we are still talking about the nomination of Commissioners.
“It shows that they are not ready for Governance. Nothing much is happening to galvanize the people towards certain policy directions and objectives of the government,” Wellington said.
However, Uche Ken, a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, in the State and former Vice Chairperson of Etche local government area agreed that the level of governance in the state is slow.
The PDP chieftain, however, charged those already appointed as commissioners to sit up and make their impacts felt.
“Now that there is flooding, a lot of communities that are affected are looking for who to lay their complaints to because there’s no commissioner for the Environment. At various sectors, most people are searching for who to complain to, especially those things that are affecting them in various areas. Also, those people who are appointed should sit up and let their impacts be felt by the people.
“As it is now, it looks as if there’s nothing that is happening about governance in the state. A free hand must be given for them to function, especially to those that have been appointed into various Ministries so that when they fail, the people will know who to hold on to and not the Governor. As it is now, it looks like nothing is happening in governance,” Uche Ken said.
Fubara had on 26 June inaugurated 14 Commissioners and assigned them portfolios. Most of the Commissioners were carryovers from former Governor Nyesom Wike’s cabinet.
Since then no new appointments have been announced for more commissioners and even the celebration of “Governors’ 100 Days in Office was suddenly cut short despite the activities lined up it.
Commissioners so far inaugurated are:
1. Prof. Zachaus Andango – Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice
2. Prof. Chinedu Mmom – Education
3. Barr. Isaac Kamalu – Finance
4. Alabo Dax George Kelly – Works
5. Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke – Special Projects
6. Mrs. Inime Chinwenwo Aguma – Social Welfare & Rehabilitation
7. Dr. Kenneth Chisom Gbali – Youth Development
8. Prof. Henry Ogiri – Power
9. Engr. Charles Amadi – Chieftaincy & Community Affairs
10. Dr. Roseline Adawari Uranta – Women Affairs
11. Chris T. Green, Esq. – Sports
12. Dr. Jacobson Nbina – Transport
13. Mr. Uchechukwu Nwafor – Energy & Natural Resources
14. Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh – Health
15. Dr. George Nweke – Head of Service.
credit: PM News
