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Buhari’s Ministers: What Deal For Rivers
After a long wait for President Muhammadu Buhari to pick ministers for his second term in office, he eventually did so with the presentation for screening by the Senate, a complement of 43 nominees, comprising 36 men and seven women; none of whom was less than 35 years of age. The list indicated that 11 of the previous ministers were returning, while 32 new ones are coming on board. Five states had two nominees each and the rest were availed just one nominee each. Expectedly, the list attracted mixed reactions from Nigerians and foreigners alike as some of its features were simply inexplicable even by the most intrepid political pundits in the country.
For the Rivers State, the story was not different as the sole nominee – Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, did not attract less concern – both for his supporters and those who had crossed his path with bitter experiences in the past along his political trajectory, as one of the most privileged Nigerians to occupy public office serially, at both state and national levels. It was therefore not difficult for questions to arise over what the Rivers State will face in Buhari’s second term, with Amaechi as the minister representing the state.
Concern over Amaechi’s proclivities as minister in Buhari’ second term could not have been raised better than by the Senate Minority Leader – the erudite Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, (representing Abia East) who during the ministerial screening last week, and in very clear terms, advised the former that as Minister he is to serve the entire country “including Rivers State”. Abaribe went on to appeal to the nominee that as Minister from and representing the Rivers State, Amaechi should see himself as a critical stakeholder in the entrenchment and sustenance of peace and progress in the state. To round off his message to Amaechi, Abaribe urged him not to forget the revitalisation of the Eastern Corridor of the country’s railway system which starts from Port Harcourt and runs across the South East and all through to the North East of the country.
The circumstance under which the Senator from Abia State was constrained to lecture a ministerial nominee from Rivers State on the benefits of peace in the latter’s own state, may seem out of place.
However, at the risk of sounding immodest but with no pun intended, it can be stated here that Amaechi had by his acts of commission and omission in the past, wittingly earned for himself the odious image of an incubus, that is determined to destroy whatever he fails to control in the state.
This self-serving agenda of his, manifested at least in several areas of interface between the Federal Ministry of Transportation which he served as its head in the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari, and is likely to be re-posted there for the second term. While the universal homily holds that “Charity begins at home”, Amaechi seemed to have reversed it with a mindset of “Charity begins abroad and dies at home”.
As an individual who the good people of Rivers State honoured specially with the rare privilege of serving unprecedentedly as Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly for two terms of eight years, and as governor for another two terms of eight years, the least to be expected from him was to lead in the transformation of the state to the next level in development, by utilising any opportunity he finds at his disposal, beyond his tenures in the previous elevated public offices. To accentuate his humongous indebtedness to the state was that even his elevation to the office of Minister, was facilitated during his tenure as governor of the Rivers State.
However, rather than meet public expectation with respect to building up the state as a partner in progress with the succeeding administration of Nyesom Wike, he elected to operate as a reducing agent as far as any of the goodies from the federal government that was designated for the Rivers State is concerned. A stock taking exercise on the ‘contributions’ to Rivers State by Amaechi as Minister of Transportation during Buhari’s first term will not exclude the avoidable collapse of the two major seaports of Port Harcourt and Onne, the blight of the Eastern Railway Corridor and the shenanigans surrounding the remodelling of the Port Harcourt Airport – all under his ministry.
Against the backdrop of the foregoing, Amaechi’s re-appointment by Buhari as minister representing Rivers State in the second term in office, does not just elicit concern, but is seen by many as essentially ominous, thereby putting the federal government on the block to assuage the fears around such a dispensation, within the state and elsewhere. It is not out of place to appreciate that even Abaribe’s Senate floor appeal to Amaechi, not to forget the revival of the Eastern Corridor of the country’s railway system, is associated remotely or otherwise, with this fear.
Yet, Amaechi does not need to carry, and has nothing to benefit from carrying continuously, the toga of a vindictive spoilsport in Buhari’s second term. All he has to do is to be friendly to the government and people of the Rivers State. In fact, by so doing, he will not only atone for his sins against the state, but also prove most eloquently, that President Buhari does not harbour any malevolent agenda for the state, in his second term.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has charged the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Chief of Staff (CoS) to carry out their duties with discipline, loyalty and a firm commitment to the success of the administration and the wellbeing of the people of Rivers State.
The governor warned that any involvement in unauthorised nocturnal meetings or any conduct capable of embarrassing the government will attract immediate dismissal.
Fubara gave the warning yesterday shortly after the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma and the new Chief of Staff (CoS), Barrister Sunny Ewule, were sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Port Harcourt.
As part of the ceremony, the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi administered the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the duo before the governor gave his charge.
Addressing the appointees, Fubara reminded them that their elevation to the new positions was a call to service and not a platform for political grandstanding or the pursuit of personal ambition.
He stressed that their foremost responsibility should be to themselves and to the people of Rivers State, stressing that their conduct must always reflect integrity, restraint and dedication to public good.
Speaking directly to Dr. Wokoma, whom he described as an accomplished academic and mathematician, the governor expressed confidence in his intellectual depth and capacity to deliver on the new assignment.
The office of the Secretary to the State Government, Fubara stressed, demands thoroughness, discipline and a deep sense of responsibility. He charged the SSG to represent the State with honour at all times.
“Your duty includes representing the state government. You need to represent us in a way and manner that will bring honour to us.
“What is important to this administration is to see that the good works that we started and the ones that we met, are concluded in a way that will bring progress and development to our dear state,” he stated.
Turning to the new Chief of Staff, the governor explained that he is expected to ensure smooth administrative coordination, managing official engagements effectively and safeguarding the image of the Government House.
He underscored the sensitive and personal nature of the role and emphasised that the position operates strictly under the authority of the governor.
Fubara stressed that the role does not permit independent political engagements or private strategy meetings without his knowledge and consent.
“Let me sound it here very clearly. Your duty is to make sure that you handle the administrative duties and image making roles perfectly well, liaising with whoever is coming for any official assignment here.
“If you involve yourself in nocturnal meetings and all those things, I will sack you. I’m very serious. What is important to me today is peace, progress and prosperity of this state. I’m not going to compromise anything for it,” he said.
The governor cautioned that involvement of the new appointees in any action capable of bringing the government or his office to disrepute would attract appropriate sanctions.
While congratulating the new appointees, Fubara expressed optimism that they would justify the confidence reposed in them.
He called on all public officials to work together in unity, observing that collective success is stronger and more enduring than individual achievement.
The governor who also addressed the Permanent Secretaries present at the ceremony, directed those of them who have reached retirement age to start preparing their handover notes without delay.
The notice, he said, was not intended to scare anybody but to prepare their minds towards the inevitability of exiting the service one day and to pave way for an orderly transition.
He warned against any attempt to engage in financial misconduct or last-minute irregularities, stressing that he was closely monitoring the system to ensure strict enforcement of accountability rules.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
The governor announced the cabinet dissolution yesterday in a statement titled ‘Government Special Announcement’, signed by his new Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi.
Governor Fubara directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
He thanked the outgoing members of the State Executive Council for their service and wished them the best in their future endeavours.
The three-paragraph special announcement read, “His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, has dissolved the State Executive Council.
“His Excellency, the Governor, has therefore directed all Commissioners and Special Advisers to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries or the most Senior officers in their Ministries with immediate effect.
“His Excellency further expresses his deepest appreciation to the outgoing members of the Executive Council wishing them the best in their future endeavours.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday told the National Assembly that it requires N873.78bn to conduct the 2027 general elections, even as it seeks N171bn to fund its operations in the 2026 fiscal year.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure while presenting the commission’s 2026 budget proposal and the projected cost for the 2027 general elections before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Electoral Matters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the N873.78bn election budget covers the full conduct of national polls in 2027.
An additional N171bn is needed to support INEC’s routine activities in 2026, including bye-elections and off-season elections, the commission stated.
The INEC boss said the proposed election budget does not include a fresh request from the National Youth Service Corps seeking increased allowances for corps members engaged as ad-hoc staff during elections.
He explained that, although the details of specific line items were not exhaustively presented, the almost N1tn election budget is structured across five major components.
“N379.75bn is for operational costs, N92.32bn for administrative costs, N209.21bn for technological costs, N154.91bn for election capital costs and N42.61bn for miscellaneous expenses,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chief noted that the budget was prepared “in line with Section 3(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to prepare its election budget at least one year before the general election.”
On the 2026 fiscal year, Amupitan disclosed that the Ministry of Finance provided an envelope of N140bn, stressing, however, that “INEC is proposing a total expenditure of N171bn.”
The breakdown includes N109bn for personnel costs, N18.7bn for overheads, N42.63bn for election-related activities and N1.4bn for capital expenditure.
He argued that the envelope budgeting system is not suitable for the Commission’s operations, noting that INEC’s activities often require urgent and flexible funding.
Amupitan also identified the lack of a dedicated communications network as a major operational challenge, adding that if the commission develops its own network infrastructure, Nigerians would be in a better position to hold it accountable for any technical glitches.
Speaking at the session, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) said external agencies should not dictate the budgeting framework for INEC, given the unique and sensitive nature of its mandate.
He advocated that the envelope budgeting model should be set aside.
He urged the National Assembly to work with INEC’s financial proposal to avoid future instances of possible underfunding.
In the same vein, a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Billy Osawaru, called for INEC’s budget to be placed on first-line charge as provided in the Constitution, with funds released in full and on time to enable the Commission to plan early enough for the 2027 general election.
The Joint Committee approved a motion recommending the one-time release of the Commission’s annual budget.
The committee also said it would consider the NYSC’s request for about N32bn to increase allowances for corps members to N125,000 each when engaged for election duties.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Simon Along, assured that the National Assembly would work closely with the Commission to ensure it receives the necessary support for the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Similarly, the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, Bayo Balogun, also pledged legislative support, warning INEC to be careful about promises it might be unable to keep.
He recalled that during the 2023 general election, INEC made strong assurances about uploading results to the INEC Result Viewing portal, creating the impression that results could be monitored in real time.
“iREV was not even in the Electoral Act; it was only in INEC regulations. So, be careful how you make promises,” Balogun warned.
The N873.78bn proposed by INEC for next year’s general election is a significant increase from the N313.4bn released to the Commission by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
