It’s not only the psychics who can predict with some certainty the shape of things to come in Rivers State after September 18 when the six month old state of emergency in the state is expected to end. Anyone who has been following closely the political happenings in the state since the Opobo born former accountant general of the state, Siminalayi Fubara became governor of the oil rich state, could also be in a position to predict correctly the political temperature of the state post emergency era.
Doubtless, the enthusiasm and high expectations which welled up in the hearts of many Rivers people in May and June when many had thought that President Tinubu could ‘disappoint’ his critics and call off the emergency rule has ebbed greatly.
May 29, formerly observed as Democracy Day was highly anticipated to be a day Tinubu could have made history by rescinding the emergency regime. That did not happen. Again on June 12 now celebrated as the new Democracy Day, Tinubu also did not budge. Expectations were also dashed.
Expectations have now thinned down ahead of September 18, as people have started wondering what exactly Fubara is coming to do as he returns. Is he actually coming back as a governor or as Wike’s appointee standing in for the FCT minister who will actually governs?
Without mincing words, Fubara is coming back as a mere figure head, like a castrated he goat parading around she goats at the peak of their heat period. The he goat can only succeed in generating tension within itself while hovering around the she goats on heat. Nothing can be more frustrating!
So let’s begin to imagine how the outlook of government will be as Fubara comes back to office. He calls a state executive council meetings when Wike will be disposed to preside wherever he may be. He will wait for Wike to scrutinize every proposal and grant approval before anything can be done.
It is now that the weight of “I am ready to do anything for peace” which has become the refrain of Fubara will dawn on him. The governor will no longer have a say on how the finances of the state is being run. The accountant general he appointed has been sacked and a new one appointed.The board of internal revenue he put in place which has raised the state IGR to about 30 billion in a month has been sacked and new board appointed.
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The governor had revealed one time that when Wike was on the saddle as governor and he as the accountant general that Wike was only declaring between N12 to N13 billion naira as IGR monthly even when he as accountant general knew that more than that was being generated.
The situation will get worse now because the new accountant general will not be answerable to Fubara. In fact all officials of government including Fubara will now take orders and directives from Wike. So whatever is being generated by the internal revenue board will not be the business of Fubara anymore.
Of course; the state’s procurement oaw will exist only on paper henceforth. The award of contracts and payment of contractors will only be known to Fubara if Wike pleases.
Already, most of the banks where the state’s money are being lodged have been reportedly swapped or changed. Fubara is coming back as a total stranger to the workings of the government he is supposed to be superintending . He may not even have the luxury of appointing his own chief of staff. Before the fight that broke out between him and Wike, it was Wike’s cousin appointed by the minister that was the governor’s chief of staff.
The Cross River State born Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ette Ibas who has been in charge for the period of emergency has done the yeo mans’s job for the FCT minister. All the vacant positions in the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have been filled by the administrator with Wike’s loyalists.
The icing was the local government election held last Saturday where the FCT Minister’s acolytes were selected and already taken positions at the 23 local government areas.
So, Fubara will only sit and bear the name of governor while a lot may be happening behind him. Very soon, it will be time to appoint commissioners and that is where Wike will ‘finish work’ as it is said in the local parlance.
None should expect anything less than what happened in the choice of candidates for the local government election when the time comes. In fact by now those to be appointed as commissioners must have been selected awaiting the opportune time.
When Fubara said that his spirit had left the Government House, many wondered what he meant then. He said but for the interest of the people, he would have given up the office claiming that since he was suspended he had added some flesh as he was enjoying a peaceful time.
So is he still coming for the interest of the people with all the arrows pointing at him from sundry angles and directions?
Indeed Fubara must be a super human to navigate through the mines that have been carefully laid on his path and still hold his head high and meritoriously serve the people.
He has inadvertently thrown many of his followers and supporters under the bus to be crushed with careless abandon.
What is now the fate of Oko-Jumbo, the factional speaker who stood by him while the fight with Wike raged. What is also the fate of Eddison Ehie who foiled his impeachment ab-initio and later became his chief of staff?
There are many others who Fubara has ditched mid sea who are now gnashing their teeth in regret.
But going back to Wike with all the conditionalities, was it the best decision available to Fubara? Some analysts said the suspended governor might have acted on the advice that he has nothing to lose since he is already a governor; it is better he goes back, earn his salary and be entitled to a life pension with all the perquisites.
Others however reason that Fubara as young as he is should have followed the leading of his spirit which he confessed had left the Government House and throw in the towel to later bounce back in future free from anyone’s umblical cord and seek the office afresh.
As it is, all eyes will still remain in Rivers State even as the emergency regime winds down as a new chapter will open post emergency regime.
