Rivers Assembly Faults Fubara Over Delay in Submitting Commissioner Nominees

Rivers Assembly has faulted Governor Fubara over delay in submitting commissioner nominees amid fresh tension in the state.

 

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that fresh tension is once again building in Rivers State as the House of Assembly has raised concerns over Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s prolonged delay in forwarding a list of commissioner nominees for screening.

The lawmakers made their position known during Friday’s plenary session.

Recall that during the House’s first sitting after the suspension of the emergency rule in September 2025, members urged the governor to submit a list of commissioner nominees to restore full governance in the state.

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Since then, Governor Fubara has dismissed all commissioners appointed during the peak of the political crisis, insisting they were not screened by the constitutionally recognized Assembly, as affirmed by a Supreme Court ruling.

However, he retained commissioners properly screened before the crisis and reassigned some to other ministries.

At the moment, many ministries in the state are without commissioners, leaving permanent secretaries to run key sectors. Critical ministries such as Education and Communication currently have no political heads.

The governor has not publicly explained the delay in sending a fresh list of nominees.

Budget Presentation May Suffer

 

The House of Assembly has adjourned its sitting to Monday, January 26, 2026. This raises concerns that Governor Fubara may not present the 2026 budget in December as earlier anticipated.

In the past week, indications have emerged that the fragile peace pact between the governor and lawmakers may be weakening.

Speaker Martin Amaewhule publicly condemned the deplorable state of primary and secondary schools in the state, accusing the administration of neglect despite previous warnings from the Assembly.

He described the condition of public schools as “a sad commentary,” noting that many schools lack teachers. He also criticized the governor for abandoning the 10,000-teacher recruitment initiated under former Governor Nyesom Wike.

According to him, “When it is time for protest, funds will come for people to go and protest. But when it is time to employ teachers and make teachers be in the classrooms, there will be none.

“We cannot continue to fold our hands while our children suffer and teachers cry.”

Amaewhule further lamented that some schools still operate with one teacher handling multiple classrooms.

He warned that the House “will not allow this indolence to continue.”

N600 Billion Controversy

 

The Speaker also alleged that former Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, left over N600 billion in the state’s coffers. He questioned why such funds had not been deployed to revive dilapidated public schools.

Fubara Reacts

 

Responding to the criticisms, Governor Fubara stated that employment in the education sector would be based strictly on the state’s actual needs, not political pressure.

Speaking Monday during a meeting with the Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council, he said the education system was already in decline before he assumed office. He assured that the 2026 budget would prioritize education reforms.

Fubara added that the political crisis slowed his interventions but announced the approval of 1,000 teachers who completed the recruitment process in 2023 but never received appointment letters.

However, the governor did not respond to claims about the N600 billion reportedly left in government accounts by Ibas.