Breaking: Gov Fubara Denies Sacking Rivers Chief Judge, CoS, Others

In the face of widespread speculation and media reports, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, vehemently denies the allegations claiming that he has dismissed key officials within his administration. These reports suggested that the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Amadi, along with his Chief of Staff, Hon. Chidi Amadi, and the Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas had been terminated from their positions.

Furthermore, rumors circulated that Fubara had also removed his Chief Security Officer amidst the turmoil that engulfed the State House of Assembly, triggered by attempts to impeach him, leading to chaos within the political arena.

Certain media outlets, not including Naira Diary, had earlier insinuated that Fubara took such drastic actions against these loyalists of former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in an effort to assert his authority.

The PUNCH revealed that Fubara’s Chief of Staff, Hon. Amadi, shares a kinship with Wike, hailing from the same Obio/Akpor LGA. Amadi was appointed during Wike’s tenure, alongside the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tamyy Danagogo, who also served under the previous administration.

Addressing the matter, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Johnson, released an official statement on Tuesday morning categorically refuting the claims. He emphasized that there is no truth whatsoever in these reports, dismissing them as baseless and without merit.

In the statement titled ‘Unfounded Reports,’ Johnson sought to clarify the situation, stating, “There had been unfounded reports making the rounds on various media platforms about His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, sacking certain categories of his aides and local council chairmen.”

He continued, “This is to clarify that His Excellency has not given me such directive as the official spokesman of the state government as of today, Tuesday, October 31, 2023.”

The statement went on to portray Fubara as a principled and compassionate leader, emphasizing his background as a technocrat in the civil service. Johnson highlighted Fubara’s commitment to following established protocols and his deep sense of fairness, driven by a genuine fear of God.

Assuring the public of timely and accurate information, Johnson concluded, “It is pertinent to note that as the Commissioner for Information and Communication, I shall keep the public updated on events in due course.” Rivers State residents and the general public were urged to dismiss these unconfirmed reports and await official communication regarding any changes in the government’s administration.