By Ignatius Chukwu
Those whose mobile telephony lines get suspended or lost look forward to a ‘welcome back’. That way, they get the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) back.
Many think Rivers State got their SIM card suspended. Now it is back. This illustration seems to help understand the return of Gov Sim Fubara to power. This return has however been welcomed with a big fire disaster at the heart of the public service, the famous Diete Spiff secretariat.
The state was shocked to find that a floor was ablaze at the Podium complex. The entire floor was reduced to rubbles and charred pieces.
Speculations erupted with many saying it came after the governor had threatened to look into corruption of permanent secretaries in the six months of emergency rule.
Incidentally, the political class has been seen as Fubara’s major problem area. Instead, it has been the public service, expected to be the most welcoming to one of theirs. Fubara was a career civil servant who rose through the ranks to become the Accountant-General of the state and then governor.
When he climbed to power, he seemed to take workers matters with higher sense of priority. He approved flat bonus of N100,000 Christmas bonus to every worker. He cleared pensions and began promotions.
Now, when his problem began, rumours were rife that some permanent secretaries appeared to work with a group that never wanted him back.
A lawyer and political analyst in the state said: “One of your own rose to become the Governor of a powerful state like Rivers. Upon assumption, he did everything possible to make your working experience the best, & most memorable time ever in service.
“Along the line, an unexpected political crisis ensued; a crisis in which at its core, was the issue of your own welfare as civil servants and as ordinary Rivers citizens.
“Soon as the Governor got suspended, boom, you snitched. The true evil nature in you guys showed forth.
“Permanent secretaries who were promoted by the Governor; some even got undue promotion to become permanent secretaries due to the Governor’s benevolence.
“You connived with the SOLAD, signed off Rivers State funds illegally. You directed the SOLAD on ways to siphon our common patrimony. Yet you didn’t end there. You went further.
“Evil permanent secretaries contributed money, sent emissaries to Aso-Rock Villa to lobby for the extension of the State of Emergency, so that the Governor would not return. When that failed, the Governor returned.
“But as soon as the Governor muttered that he is aware of who did what and how, and that in due course, everyone would answer for their actions—boom again, you ran and went to burn part of the state secretariat in an attempt to conceal evidence of your crime.”
This narrative seems to permeate the state’s layers of citizens, whether true or not.
The politicians are however quiet because they seemed highly occupied with how to share the spoils of war. Meetings have been going on almost every night, with some reported and others not open.
Every camp that played a role in one way or the other seems eager to get a piece of reward. The groups that fought against the governor for the sake of the FCT minister are said to expect much, while those that fought for Fubara also think they deserved some piece of the cake.
The Nyesom Wike camp is said to want every position but Gov Fubara is said to be making a cse for few of his innermost allies such as the chief of staff and the ‘speaker’ of his own camp in the state’s House of Assembly.
The Wike camp has also toned down from the stance exhibited by the approved Speaker who resumed with orders to Gov Fubara to submit one thing or the other.
Now, everybody seems to wait for Gov Fubara to do things when its convenient to his, such as submission of the list of commissioners and other appointees as well as resubmitting the budget for their review.
Fubara is expected to begin pronouncements soon as the nocturnal meetings were over.
