The commissioners who resigned are:
- Commissioner for Housing, Gift Worlu
- Commissioner for Education, Chinedu Mmon
- Commissioner for Environment, Ben-Golden Chioma
- Commissioner for Transport, Jacobson Nbina
- Commissioner for Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Inime Aguma
Reasons for Resignation
In their resignation letters, the commissioners cited various reasons for their decision to leave the cabinet. Gift Worlu and Chinedu Mmon attributed their resignations to the “toxic atmosphere” that characterized their relationship with Governor Fubara. Inime Aguma expressed concerns about the lack of opportunities for progression and development in her role.
“I resigned with all sense of responsibility especially as there is no room for progression and development in the workplace,” wrote Aguma, who was in charge of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation.
Austen Ben-Chioma and Jacobson Nbina, former commissioners for environment and transport, respectively, pointed to the ongoing political crisis in the state as the primary reason for their resignations.
Background
The five commissioners are known loyalists of Nyesom Wike, who previously served as the governor of Rivers State and is now the FCT Minister. They were among the nine commissioners who served under Wike’s administration. Governor Fubara, who inherited these commissioners from Wike’s administration, had initially retained them in his cabinet after taking office.
However, last December, amidst a political feud between Wike and Fubara, the commissioners initially resigned but later returned to their posts after a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu.
Recent Developments
The recent resignations come less than a month after two other commissioners, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacchaeus Adangor, and Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu, resigned following their redeployment by Governor Fubara. This brings the total number of Wike loyalists who have resigned from Fubara’s cabinet to eight. Additionally, Dakorinama Kelly-George, who served as Commissioner for Works, had previously resigned to take up a federal appointment.
Governor Fubara has begun to replace the resigned commissioners, with Dagogo Iboroma sworn in on Monday as the new Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The departures underscore the ongoing political tensions within the state’s administration and the challenges facing Governor Fubara as he seeks to stabilize his cabinet and governance.