Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has named Edison Ehie as his new chief of staff. Mr. Ehie, previously the speaker of the now-disbanded four-member faction of the Rivers House of Assembly, assumes this role.
In an announcement made on Sunday, Tammy Danagogo, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, conveyed that Governor Fubara has additionally sanctioned the appointment of five special advisers.
The newly appointed special advisers are Darlington Orji, Solomon Eke, Aminayanasam Fiberesima, Deeyah Bariene, and Ohia Prince, as disclosed in the official statement.
“The newly appointed Chief of Staff and Special Advisers alongside one guest each are expected to be seated at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Monday at 10:30 a.m., for the swearing-in- ceremony by His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State at 11 a.m.,” Mr Danagogo said.
Governor Fubara announced the new appointments about 48 hours after swearing in the nine pro-Wike commissioners, who had previously resigned their appointments last month as a show of loyalty to the former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike.
Mr Wike, who is the FCT minister, is engaged in a fierce tussle with Mr Fubara over the control of governance and politics in the oil-rich state.
The return of the officials to Mr Fubara’s cabinet is in fulfilment of a controversial peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu to end the political crisis in the state.
Mr Ehie, a lawyer and former leader of the state assembly, had resigned as the factional speaker and also from the legislature apparently to pave the way for the peace deal to be implemented in the house. He represented Ahoada-East in the assembly.
Mr Ehie was removed as leader of the assembly for declining to endorse the impeachment plot against Governor Fubara by lawmakers loyal to Mr Wike.
As a fallout of the impeachment attempt, the assembly split into two factions – Mr Ehie emerged as speaker of the four-member faction loyal to the governor, while Martin Amaewhule led the 27-member faction loyal to Mr Wike.
The two factions convened separate plenary sessions on various occasions, exacerbating the crisis that had emerged in late October. However, the situation took a tumultuous turn in December when lawmakers aligned with Governor Wike defected from the PDP to the APC.
Empowered by a court order granting control to his faction, Mr. Ehie declared vacant the seats of the defected lawmakers, prompting President Tinubu’s intervention.
In a bid for resolution, President Tinubu brokered a peace deal, compelling Mr. Fubara to permit the return of pro-Wike lawmakers to the assembly, reinstating their privileges.
Recent reports had suggested Mr. Ehie’s potential appointment as Governor Fubara’s chief of staff following his resignation from the assembly.
