Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara on Monday signed an agreement with his predecessor and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike, to end the political crisis in the state.
An eight-point peace deal was brokered by President Bola Tinubu and other stakeholders at a crucial meeting in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
It will be recalled that both men have been at loggerheads over the governing of the state and this has led to crisis in the state.
According to the peace resolutions, impeachment moves against Fubara would be stopped, Speaker Martin Amaewhule, the leader of the G27 lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would return as speaker while Edison Ehie will step down. All matters in court would be withdrawn, and the governor will re-submit his N800.3 billion 2024 budget to the whole House.
The Ehie four-man House had last Thursday passed the budget less than 24 hours after receiving it from Governor Fubara.
The resolution includes;
“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by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, and his team, in respect of the political crisis in Rivers State, shall be withdrawn IMMEDIATELY.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.
“Nigerians have taken to social media to react to trhis development. While some agree that the state governor needed to sign the deal for peace to reign, others were of the opinion that he signed off his power as a sitting governor.”