The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara has appointed a new Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and a new Chief of Staff, marking another significant shift in the political landscape of the oil-rich state.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Onwuka Nzeshi, Dr Dagogo S.A. Wokoma was named the new SSG, while Barrister Sunny Ewule was appointed Chief of Staff. The appointments take immediate effect.
The statement added that both officials would be sworn in at 2:00 p.m. at the Executive Council Chamber, Government House, Port Harcourt.
Dr Wokoma replaces Mr Benibo Anabraba as SSG, while Ewule takes over from Edison Ehie as Chief of Staff.
Ehie’s role had been the subject of political speculation in recent months, particularly following the intervention of Bola Tinubu in the prolonged political crisis in the state. There were claims that he had continued to function in an acting capacity behind the scenes.
The latest appointments are widely seen as part of the aftermath of the reconciliation between Fubara and his former political ally, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The rift between the two leaders had plunged the state into months of political tension, culminating in impeachment proceedings initiated by the State House of Assembly.
However, following President Tinubu’s intervention, the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, announced during plenary that lawmakers had formally withdrawn the impeachment notice against the governor and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.
The new appointments come shortly after Fubara dissolved his eight-member cabinet and relieved all Special Advisers of their duties, moves interpreted by observers as part of ongoing efforts to stabilise his administration after the political truce.
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