A combo of the newly appointed Chairman Eze Chike Wodo and the former Chairman Sergeant Awuse.
.Drops Wike’s ally Awuse
Fubara: Under Eze Sergeat Awuse, the council produced a calendar for the year 2024, and insulted the State Government by deliberately refusing to include the photographs of the Governor and the Deputy Governor
By Jamea Amadi
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has reshuffled the leadership of the state’s Council of Traditional Rulers by appointing the King of Apara Kingdom in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo, to chair the council on Friday June 21, 2024.
Eze Wodo, who recently visited Governor Fubara to pledge his support for his administration, replaced King Sergeant Awuse, an ally of the former governor Nyesom Wike.
Obio/Akpor Local Government Area is where former Governor Nyesom Wike comes from.
Awuse, a prominent politician, became a traditional ruler in his Emohua Kingdom in Emohhua Local Government Area two years ago.
Despite being new to the revered Council of Traditional Rulers, the former Governor, Nyesom Wike, during a banquet to mark the end of his tenure, announced Awuse, his long-time ally, as the council’s Chairman.
Awuse marked his first year as a Traditional Ruler in June last year while serving as the Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, a role he took over from the King of Opobo where Governor Fubara hails from.
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At a meeting with the government classified Traditional Rulers at the Government House today, Governor Fubara said the appointment of a new Chairman was due to the “inactivity and the absence of effective leadership of the council under Eze Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse”.
The governor accused Awuse of failing to steer the council’s affairs right and being unable to promote cordial relationships among members and with the state government.
Governor Fubara pointed out that under Eze Sergeat Awuse, the council produced a calendar for the year 2024, and insulted the State Government by deliberately refusing to include the photographs of the Governor and the Deputy Governor.
He said that such posture, among others, clearly demonstrated that the council under his leadership had not, and would never live up to expectations.
He said, “I want the council to live up to its responsibility. From my observation, the council is moribund. So, I can feel that the council, for a while now, has been very inactive. Inactive because, maybe, the chairman has decided not to be responsible as a chairman. I think that is the best way to describe it.
“I am not talking about other things that have been happening. But I feel there are responsibilities of the chairman, and so far, I have not felt it and you can also attest to that, that you are not seeing that leadership that you expect.
“I would like to draw your attention to a special insult that was meted to this government. The council produced a calendar for the year of our Lord 2024, and the Governor’s picture and the Deputy Governor’s picture are not in the calendar.
“I want to ask you: does it show any sign that, that leadership is working with this government? I hope you have a copy of it. Does it show that your chairman is working with this government?
“So, I have decided today, we have to move forward. By the special grace of God, the administrative life-span of the chairman is one year, which is renewable. So, at this particular time, I have to say that with the power vested in me, I announce that the tenure of Chief Sergeant Awuse has been terminated.”
valoa2000@yahoo.com
