WIKE RECALLS SUSPENDED COMMISSIONERS

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has recalled the four commissioners he suspended, weeks after they were asked to proceed on suspension.

The commissioners recalled by the governor are those of: Chieftaincy Affairs, Dr John Bazia; Culture and Tourism, Mrs Tonye Briggs-Oniyide; Finance, Dr Fred Kpakol, as well as the Sports Commissioner, Mr Boma Iyaye.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media Simeon Nwakaudu, had announced their suspension in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital, on August 31.

The governor did not, however, state the reason for the suspension, which according to the statement also affected the Head of Service, Mr Rufus Godwin and the Special Adviser on Lands, Mr Anugbun Onuoha.

According to the statement issued yesterday by Wike’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, the governor has also recalled the Head of Service, Mr Rufus Godwin and Mr Anugbum Onuoha, Special Adviser on Lands.

In November last year, the governor had sacked his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Christian Inko-Tariah. The sack comes days after Wike had disowned a statement from the sacked aide, purportedly denigrating the Nigerian judiciary.

Recall also that the Rivers government had in June 2015, ordered the sack of no fewer than 344 newly recruited staff, including lecturers of the State Polytechnic, Bori.

The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the institution, Innocent Ogbonnaya Nwanwo, said the government also directed the Rector of the polytechnic, Sir Obianko Worlu Elechi to proceed on compulsory leave.

Nwanwo said the sack of the newly recruited staff, as well as the directive on the Rector to proceed on compulsory leave was contained in a directive sent to the Polytechnic by the State Ministry of Education.

He said, “The recent employment exercise we had at the Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori has been cancelled. The reason is that the government needed to review the process of their employment. The process that brought in the newly employed people; don’t forget, they have not started work, has been called off; it has been terminated by the state government.

“Right now, they don’t have a job here in the Rivers State Polytechnic. Technically speaking, that is the truth. The Rector is on leave; he was asked to proceed on leave.”