The Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide, has urged Governor Siminalayi Fubara to quickly nominate Edison Ehie, the former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as the state government’s Chief of Staff.
The phone conversation came amid widespread suspicion that Fubara had named Ehie as his Chief of Staff.
Meanwhile, our correspondent learned that the present CoS, Chidi Amadi, a cousin of ex-governor Nyesom Wike, has yet to retire.
According to the PUNCH, Ehie resigned from the House of Assembly on Saturday after opposing a plot by 27 pro-Wike members to impeach Fubara.
Though Ehie did not specify a specific reason for his resignation, Fubara stated on Monday that Ehie’s departure was part of a premeditated strategy to give peace a chance and address the state’s political issue.
On Tuesday, speculation grew that Fubara had named Ehie as his CoS.
Attempts to corroborate the development were unsuccessful, however, because the governor’s media aide, Boniface Onyedi, denied knowledge of the development.
However, Maobuye Nangi-Obu, Secretary of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, asked Fubara to nominate Ehie as his Chief of Staff, claiming he understood administration and the rule of law.
Nangi-Obu stated,
“It is the governor’s right to appoint whomever he likes as anything.
“It is also Ehie’s right to say I have seen another opening that gives a better opportunity for my political future.
“In fact, if there is anything higher than the Chief of Staff, Ehie deserves it. The governor should quickly appoint him. He is one person that has shown character, and he is firm. Not only that he supports the governor, but also he understands the rule of law. He tries to stand for the governor, so the governor should appoint him if he has not made the appointment.”
The IYC scribe urged Wike not to blame his political miscalculation on the people of Ijaw, who, he said, were instrumental in the success of his political journey and ascension.
He said,
“Ijaw people should not be painted in bad light as Wike is going about doing. In 1999, the Ijaw people supported Peter Odili to be governor. It was Asawana that made him governor. Then Asawana was jot itchy in anybody’s ears.
“In 2007, the Ijaw people stood by Rotimi Amaechi. The worst of it all is when the Ijaw that had the magic wand as regards governance, then we had Ijaw man as President, they made sure that the wrong thing was entrenched and they brought Nyesom Wike to us.
“Ijaw people chanted Asawana, killed themselves to ensure that another Ikwerre man succeeded an Ikwerre, because Patient Jonathan backed Wike. Then Asawana was not evil, Wike should not blame his political miscalculation on the people of Ijaw.”
Meanwhile, following the exit of Ehie, the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, disclaimed that he was a factional Speaker.
The Clerk of the Assembly, Emeka Amadi, in a letter titled ‘To Whom It May Concern,’ said it was misleading to describe Ehie as a factional Speaker.
He said,
“The attention of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been drawn to a letter dated 29 December 2023, addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and circulating in the media.
“It was purportedly written and signed by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, member representing Ahoada East Constituency II in the Rivers State of Assembly, wherein he claimed to have resigned from the position of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an office he never occupied.
“I am, therefore, directed to call on the good people of Rivers State to disregard the false claim in this letter that is intended to mislead the unsuspecting public. Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie was never at any time in the life of the Rivers State House of Assembly elected a Speaker.
“The Office of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly is a creation of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) and should not be ridiculed by any member who swore to preserve it and abide by the Constitution.”