The All Progressives Congress Rivers State chapter led Caretaker Committee Chairman and Rivers State representative in the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC, Honourable Chief Tony Okocha on Tuesday 12th of March, 2024 addressed the Media on key issues pertaining to the political development in Rivers State. Worried by the alleged inaction of Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s 9-Months administration, Honourable Chief Tony Okocha described the incumbent Rivers State Governor as a depot and Sole administrator who since December 15th 2024 refused to conduct State Executive Council meetings from where policies and programmes of government would be given legal cum administrative backing in accordance to the principles of good governance which he allegedly lacks
Speaking to journalists at APC State Secretariat at Plot 268 Aba Expressway, Port Harcourt, Honourable Chief Okocha accused Rivers State Governor Fubara of engaging in a state-wide Supreme Court victory Thanksgiving activities with state funds of over N150m spent per Local Government Area using conglomerate of political contractors in executing such in the name of Thanksgiving. He accused Gov. Fubara of contracting Rivers State women who glad in half nudity display of shoring support for Governor Fubara an act he described as despicable while asking Governor Fubara to apologise to Rivers people for such action.
The Rivers State Caretaker Committee Chairman spoke against lack of proactive measures set up by the Rivers State Governor to alleviate the economic hardship in the state as what is happening in Nigeria is a global phenomenon as the United Kingdom government is in economic recession now. To this development he said Niger State Governor is busy implementing measures to alleviate the effects of economic hardship in his state as he asked “ Can this state claim to have more money than Rivers State and what has happened to the resources of Rivers State from June 2023 to February 2024?”
In the quest to verify how Governor Siminialayi’s administration has turned that of a Sole administrator, he said “After the 10th of December, 20233 State Executive Council meeting, he has not held any State Executive Council meeting which is the one to approve policies and projects. The Governor is now a despot and a Totalitarian. That the 30 members out of 32 members of Rivers State House of Assembly now has one dead and one resigned from the Assembly, the Governor is not working with them in tandem with his not working with the Commissioners as members of the state Executive arm of Government and he doesn’t work with the Local Government Councils Chairmen whose emoluments is allegedly withheld by the Governor.”
The APC Rivers State chieftain alleged that over 10% of Internally Generated revenue is owed the Local Government Councils which is statutory and meant for allocation to Local Government Councils hasn’t been paid to the LGC. The Governor is in breach of this, he said, as he is also at war with members of his own political party Peoples democratic party PDP.
On the election of Local Government Council Chairmen and Councillors, Chief Okocha said “The Governor is in breach of the Laws of Rivers State Local Government Administration that the same law says within 90-days to the expiration of the current LGC administration that Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission RVSIEC, should organize Local Government elections and a list of activities published as the current LGC administration expires in June, 2024.
Chief Okocha accused Rivers State Governor Fubara planning to establish Caretaker Committee Acting Chairmen as he is planning to use HPMs, Head of Administrations in the Local Government Areas, He alleged that If Gov. Fubara appoints Caretaker Committee Chairmen, that Rivers State House of Assembly will screen them and that as he lacks the cooperation with Rivers State House of Assembly, he won’t do that.” He queried “We’re ready for election but If APC of today were to be APC that will boycott elections, Governor would have organized election
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