The presidential intervention in the Rivers State political crisis achieved a headway on Monday, December 18, with sides in the impasse given instructions on moving forward.
President Bola Tinubu met with sides involved in the crisis and secured commitments from all sides to abide by a set of eight resolutions reached at the parley.
The resolution, signed by both Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his predecessor and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, spelt out steps expected by parties in the conflict to take.
Other signatories of the resolution are the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr Ngozi Ordu; Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a loyalist of the FCT minister, Hon Martin Amaewhule; acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Chukwuemeka Aaron; and the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee chairman, Chief Tony Okocha.
Also present at the meeting was former governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili.
According to the resolution document, a copy of which was obtained by The Nation on Monday evening, it directed Governor Fubara to withdraw all matters he has before the courts, just as it directed the State House of Assembly to drop all impeachment processes it initiated against the governor.
It also directed that Amaewhule’s leadership of the House of Assembly be recognised, just as it directed Governor Fubara to re-present the state’s 2024 Budget to the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
“All matters instituted in the courts by the governor of Rivers state, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers state, shall be withdrawn immediately.
“All impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor of Rivers state by the Rivers State House of Assembly should be dropped immediately
“The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognized alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP
“The remunerations and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly
“The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the Executive arm of government
“The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval
“There should NOT be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the Local Government administration is null and void and shall not be recognized.”