The Federal Government has announced that funds allocated to Rivers State will be given to the state’s administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, disclosed this at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, while defending the Federal Government’s decision to declare a state of emergency, which he described as timely and a saving grace for Governor, Siminalayi Fubara who had been served impeachment notice by pro-Wike lawmakers.
“If that impeachment had been allowed to take its full course, the governor would have entirely lost and completely.
“So, in a way, instead of allowing the impeachment to continue, and which in the end would have seen both the governor and the deputy governor out of office for the entirety of their four-year term with the remainder of what they have — a balance of two years and two months,” the AGF said.
The AGF insisted that Fubara’s refusal to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling was solely responsible for the state of emergency and not interference by FCT Minister Nyesome Wike.
He also warned that it would serve as a deterrence to individuals nursing intentions to destabilize democracy, while urging critics to channel their grievances to the National Assembly.
Fagbemi said Wike should not be brought into the matter as he was not responsible for the actions of Fubara who failed to act in line with the constitutional requirements of getting the approval of the state legislators in the affairs of the state.
“Was he the one who said the governor should not present the budget to the House of Assembly? Was he the one who advised the governor not to go through the House of Assembly for purposes of ratifying the commissioner-nominees?
Tinubu yesterday declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.
