Because the drawn out impeachment saga in Rivers State continues, extra persons are leaning in direction of Governor Siminalayi Fubara who the Home of Meeting is bent on eradicating.
Whereas no vocal voices are being heard on the road and all over the place seems comparatively peaceable, this near-silent majority nonetheless say their thoughts, when approached for feedback.
This may very well be the longest impeachment battle within the historical past of Nigeria as a democracy, having began in 2024 after Governor Fubara fell out together with his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyesom Wike.
Maybe, this may very well be as a consequence of President Bola Tinubu’s intervention by means of the controversial state of emergency declaration on Rivers State and the six-month suspension of Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu in addition to the Rivers State Home of Meeting.
Not lengthy after the reconciliation of Wike and Fubara when all Rivers folks thought that peace was theirs finally and the governor might deal with improvement, the state legislature, once more fell out with the governor.
Whereas all eyes have been on the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule – led Home of Meeting and Governor Fubara with Wike on the sidelines, both cheering or pulling the strings, no thought has been spared for the long-suffering individuals who should get pleasure from a peaceable democracy.
John Tawari (not his actual title), on a bus trip from Rumuokoro to Schooling on the Ikwere Highway, Port Harcourt, questioned if the plight of the unusual man ever crossed the minds of these bent on eradicating the governor.
Tawari questioned why the elected representatives haven’t thought it essential to seek the advice of their constituents earlier than embarking on or reigniting the impeachment course of.
Expressing bitterness, he lamented why the lawmakers have rejected all appeals to sheathe their swords and embrace peace with the rising variety of teams calling for reconciliation with the intention to transfer the state ahead.
The Commerce Union Congress in Rivers State, in a current assertion, mentioned the impeachment saga has affected the unusual residents of the state, saying when two elephants struggle, the grass suffers.
TUC factional chairman, Udoka Josiah made the assertion whereas demanding for an upward evaluate of the minimal wage to N200,000 month-to-month as a result of excessive price of fundamental requirements within the state.
“The place two elephants are preventing the grass suffers. On this case, the grass represents the employees and good folks of Rivers State,” he said.
On the coronary heart of the most recent impeachment transfer by the state Home of Meeting are insinuations of alleged launch of a whooping N10.5 billion to lawmakers for constituency tasks.
Individuals accustomed to the event mentioned lawmakers obtained as a lot as N350 million every, however the concern is that there’s nothing to indicate for it.
One Port Harcourt resident mentioned, if the lawmakers had launched into any challenge it will not be hidden particularly within the state capital.
He queued: “If they’ve executed something with the cash, we’ll see it. Is that this not Port Harcourt? Is there any challenge occurring right here that we don’t learn about?”
A member of the Pan Niger Delta Discussion board, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe informed BD Sunday that the job of the lawmakers is to make legal guidelines for the betterment of their constituents.
Sara-Igbe who’s an elder in PANDEF mentioned of the lawmakers, “Their curiosity is their constituencies, the constituents that voted them in, they need to consider how they will get facilities to these areas and to not come and disorganise the governor. That’s not one of the best ways to go about it.”
Nonetheless, because the concern of the constituency funds turned public information, the Rivers State Home of Meeting has neither acknowledged or debunked it.
This amidst additional allegations that the legislature is preventing the governor in order that he’ll launch extra funds to them by means of a supplementary price range.
One lawmaker had claimed that he has launched into two constituency tasks and that anybody who doubted him can go and see for themselves.
However, when contacted by our correspondent, he mentioned the Home of Meeting is an establishment with an official chargeable for responding to such points.
He neither acknowledged nor debunked the alleged receipt of N350 million for constituency tasks. He promised to ship the contact of the official, however by no means did.
The Chairman, Home Committee on Info, Hon. Enemi Alabo George, when reached for remark didn’t choose his calls nor reply to textual content and WhatsApp messages to his cell quantity.
Efforts to get Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s Particular Adviser on Political Issues, Hon. Darlington Orji to talk on the matter failed as he declined feedback saying he’s a authorities official.
One other worrying concern is the insinuation that the N10.5 billion allegedly was launched to the lawmakers throughout the time of the Sole Administrator, when each Governor Fubara and his deputy in addition to the Home of Meeting was serving a six-month suspension.
An insider who’s accustomed to the matter mentioned the cash was accredited and launched on September 12, 2025 and the memo was marked “2025 Constituency Initiatives”.
It’s additional mentioned that solely the 26 lawmakers loyal to former governor and FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike acquired the constituency funds whereas pro-Fubara lawmakers had been shut out.
Along with the constituency funds, the lawmakers additionally obtained a model new SUV every valued at over N150 million, in response to a web based report quoting Fubara’s aide, Darlington Orji.
The silence of each events within the impeachment battle on the N10.5 billion constituency funds raises speculations concerning the place of the unusual man in discussions surrounding the expansion and improvement of Rivers State.
On the conclusion of the Polo tourney within the state capital, Governor Fubara had asserted that the vital factor was that he’s nonetheless governor and would proceed to do what he promised to do.
“What’s vital is that I’m nonetheless the governor of Rivers State, and we’ll proceed to do what we have now promised the Rivers folks,” he mentioned.
On the streets, of their properties, at work and enterprise, the folks wish to know what is occurring, straining to interpret any remark, sly look, to decipher what’s forward.
It stays to be seen if they’ve been uncared for and deserted by the folks that they had entrusted with their votes to cause them to increased floor.
