Wike and the Trouble Within

The recent dissolution of the state executive council by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State may have exposed the cracks within his government. Ernest Chinwo writes

Last week was quite tumultuous in the political artery of Rivers State. Governor Nyesom Wike, on Saturday, June 24, announced the dissolution of the State Executive Council after presiding over what turned out a valedictory session. A statement by the Special Assistant to the governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, after the meeting said the governor directed all former commissioners to handover to their respective Permanent Secretaries.

He also said Wike thanked the former commissioners for their service to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours. The dissolution came about 48 hours after the governor sacked his Commissioner for Works, Mr. Bathuel Ifeanyichukwu Harrison and no reason was given for the sack

But Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Austin Tam-George, had however resigned his appointment on Friday, June 23, before the dissolution, thus prompting insinuation that the governor might have preempted more resignation, hence the dissolution of the exco.

Tam-George, in a letter dated June 23, 2017 and addressed to the Governor, said he had officially handed over to Director of Administration in the Ministry of Information and Communication. The terse letter titled “Resignation” read in part: “I wish to resign my appointment as Commissioner for Information and Communication with effect from today, 23rd, June, 2017. I have handed over officially to the Director of Administration of the Ministry. Thank you for the opportunity to serve the state.”

But Harrison was the second Works commissioner to be sacked under the Wike-led administration. He was appointed on May 11, 2016 after the governor had sacked his predecessor, Kevin Wachukwu.

In February this year, the governor sacked the commissioner for Health, Dr. Theophilus Odiage, few days after the acting President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, visited and commencement of the reconstruction of Doctors’ Quarters at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt.

With the spate of dismissal of commissioners especially last week, there were speculations that all might not be well within the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There were suspicions that some of the commissioners may have been compromised by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) especially as the senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe’s gubernatorial ambitions had become public knowledge and a move that was also tearing the APC apart in the state.
But Wike has tried to douse tension by stating that the sack of the cabinet was with the knowledge of the leadership of the state PDP and that there was no crack in the party.

Speaking during the Election Thanksgiving Service in honour of the Majority Whip of the Rivers State House of Assembly at St Martin’s Anglican Church, Ogu on Sunday, June 25, Wike explained that the dissolution was done to rejig the machinery of government to move the state forward.

“This is when you know those who are loyal and those who are not loyal. There is no crack in government. We are working together. The dissolution was done in consultation with the leadership of PDP in the state. You must work with those who are loyal. Those who are not loyal will be shown the way out. Those who are loyal will come back. When you are going into another dispensation, you have to put things in order.”

The governor said the dissolution of the state executive council was done at the appropriate time, adding that most other states had already dissolved their respective executive councils.

“In government, there are those hungry to come in and those hungry to go. If you are a political appointee, you must expect any eventuality,” he said, adding that the administration would continue to deliver on its promises to the people.

While the governor stated that there was no crack in the party, his insistence on the matter of loyalty lends credence to speculations that some of his “boys” may have shifted loyalty. Although no reasons were proffered for the ousting of the commissioners, some politicians have said the Tam-George might have resigned because his ministry was starved of funds.

But in media circles in the state, his exit had long been expected. The social media had been awash with his rating as the worst information commissioner in the state in recent times. Deployments he carried out in the Ministry of Information had not gone down well with most persons. Some experienced directors in the ministry with background rooted in print media were posted to the state Broadcasting Corporation where they had been idle. Some say the postings were punitive as the affected directors were people who had had differing opinions with the commissioner.

The ministry was not visible during the month-long celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the state and the second anniversary of the administration of Wike. He was also seen as an “Outsider” in the cabinet, because aside the fact that he did not follow in the campaigns, he was not based in the country and was not in complete grasp of the workings of the Nigerian system. His relationship with the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) was also said not to be cordial.

For other commissioners, however, it was not unlikely that most of them could not keep pace with the governor’s style of administration, especially that 2019 is also in view. For Wike, any appointee that would not work according to his (the governor’s) dictates is not needed.

Ironically, what Tam-George was later quoted as saying about the administration had lent credence to the possible crack within Wike’s government. Hear this: “Wike does not have any good dream for Rivers State. Most commissioners serving under Governor Wike can no longer pay the school fees of their wards. Governor Wike is running a one-man show government and I’ve decided not to be part of such government again.”

On the flip side, however, the dissolution of the executive council has opened new doors for political job seekers, who are now seeking the assistance of god-fathers to get the ear of the governor. An official of the state PDP, who pleaded anonymity told THISDAY that “CVs are flying all over the place. Most of us are seeking to be named in the new cabinet. We have worked and we think we should also chop.”

But as the politicians jostle for appointment into the new cabinet, one person whose case is settled is the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Emmanuel Aguma (SAN). He was to appear before the state House of Assembly on Thursday for screening. A close ally and member of the kitchen cabinet of the governor, his case was almost fait accompli that he would come back.

While the fate of others still hangs in the balance, it is expected that the coming week will also be eventful in terms of the reconstitution of the state executive council. But it is also certain that these are some of the evident trappings of the 2019 elections. And if the signs are to share closely, they come across vividly as some of the factors that ultimately shaped the emergence of Wike in the time of Rotimi Amaechi. Or is it time and chance reversing roles now? Let’s wait for it…