Six months after inauguration of Siminalayi Fubara as Governor of Rivers State, stakeholders are now condemning the inability of the Governor to constitute a full cabinet for and seeming slow pace of effective governance of the state.
They are wondering why it is taking the governor long to appoint Commissioners into the ministries that don’t have for the smooth running of the State. They wondered why the seeming delay constituting a full cabinet about six months after his inauguration.
Such Ministries without Commissioners are: Environment, Information and Communications, Budget Economic and Planning, Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, Land and Survey, Culture and Tourism,Water Resources, Housing and Rural Development amongst others.
It would be recalled that since Governor Fubara inaugurated 14 Commissioners and assigned portfolios to them others Ministries aforementioned have been without Commissioners appointed to head them.
Reacting to this, the Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State, Darlington Nwauju, said the delay in the appointment of Commissioners is as a result of Fubara’s lack of vision and preparedness to govern the State.
“The Governor has no clear blueprint for the development plan of the State. Commissioners in Ministries are to interpret the governor’s vision in various sectors. You can learn on the job. You must have a clear cut vision for the people you want to govern. All this delay in appointing competent men and women into various Ministries shows the lack of preparedness to govern the people of the State”, Nwauju said.
Also speaking about the delay, the Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party in Rivers, Gogo Wellington, alleged that the delay of the Governor in forming a full cabinet shows lack of readiness for governance.
“Now that there is flooding, a lot of Communities that are affected are looking for who to lay their complaints to because there’s no commissioner for Environment. At various sectors, most people are searching for who to complain to, especially those things that are affecting them in various areas. Also, those people who are appointed should sit up and let their impacts be felt.
“As it is now, it looks as if there’s nothing that is happening about governance in the state. A free hand must be given for them to function, especially to those that have been appointed into various Ministries so that when they fail the people will know who to hold on to and not the Governor. As it is now, it looks like nothing is happening in governance”. he said.
It would be recalled that on June 26,Fubara inaugurated 14 Commissioners and assigned them portfolios. Most of Commissioners were carryovers from former Governor Nyesom Wike’s cabinet.
Since then no new appointments have been made for more Commissioners and even the celebration of “Governors’ 100 Days in Office was suddenly cut short,”despite the activities lined up it.
Commissioners so far inaugurated are:
1. Prof. Zachaus Andango – Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice
2. Prof. Chinedu Mmom – Education
3. Barr. Isaac Kamalu – Finance
4. Alabo Dax George Kelly – Works
5. Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke – Special Projects
6. Mrs. Inime Chinwenwo Aguma – Social Welfare & Rehabilitation
7. Dr. Kenneth Chisom Gbali – Youth Development
8. Prof. Henry Ogiri – Power
9. Engr. Charles Amadi – Chieftaincy & Community Affairs
10. Dr. Roseline Adawari Uranta – Women Affairs
11. Chris T. Green, Esq. – Sports
12. Dr. Jacobson Nbina – Transport
13. Mr. Uchechukwu Nwafor – Energy & Natural Resources
14. Dr. Adaeze Chidinma Oreh – Health
15. Dr. George Nweke – Head of Service.
