The immediate past Rivers State Head of Service, George Nwaeke has alleged that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara masterminded the bombing of the complex of the State House of Assembly, in Port Harcourt.

Nweke, who served under suspended Governor Fubara and was assumed to be his ally, claimed that the governor directed his Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie to commit the crime.

The former Head of Services made the claims in an interview he granted on national television on Friday night.

According to Nwaeke, the suspended governor was afraid of suspected impeachment by the 27 lawmakers, which was why he allegedly ordered for the destruction of the Assembly complex.

He claimed he made the confession willingly and not under pressure, saying that he was not pressured to resign.

Nwaeke alleged “It all started with the State House of Assembly, where the governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, directed his Chief of Staff to burn down the Assembly in a way to avert his suspected impeachment.

“That evening, Edison was in Government House with many of his boys, including the former chairman of Obio/Akpor, one Mr Chijioke Ihunwo. I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation.

“A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I know the power of a sitting governor and he knew that I am aware of the whole plan.”

The former HoS however, urged the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress to call their state chairman to order, saying he must not compromise or be partisan as a democrat.

“Let me draw the attention of the Nigerian Labour Congress to call the attention of their chairman, Rivers State Chapter to order to avoid politicising Labour.

“I am privy to several private meetings between the Governor and the Labour leader in the state and the largesse that accompanied each meeting to compromise the Labour Union”, he added

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) has approved the payment of salaries for civil servants in the State Civil Service and public servants of the state government.

The administrator who ordered that the payment must be immediately, also approved the payment of salaries for pensioners and all suspended political appointees in the state.

Ibas recently suspended all political appointees of the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

In the statement signed by the new Secretary to the State Government, Prof Ibibia Worika, explained that the salary payment was for the month of March this year.

In a related development, Ibas on Friday charged all security agencies to collaborate with his administration to keep the state safer, peaceful and avert any form of breakdown of law.

The administrator gave the charge when he met with Heads of paramilitary organisations at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

This was as the Conference of Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (CP-PDP)  has cautioned Vice Admiral Ibas to steer clear of the statutory allocation and all other funds accruable or released to Rivers State.

Also, Rivers State women from the 23 local government areas of the state, on Friday, gathered in Port Harcourt, the State capital, to seek God’s intervention concerning the state, following the ongoing state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Ibas, who noted that there cannot be any meaningful development without a thriving peaceful environment, said efforts must be intensified to ensure that criminal elements are not emboldened to cause insecurity.

He described all paramilitary organisations as critical stakeholders in the fight against crime and criminality, acknowledging their contributions to ensuring a peaceful Rivers State.

He urged them to participate effectively in joint operations that are geared towards degrading the capabilities of criminal elements within the state and contribute their quota in combating activities of criminals in the state.

“If you have people who can conduct their legitimate business and they are not able to conduct their business as enshrined in our laws, then they lose out, and criminals take over control of the state.

“I will, therefore, be needing you in all aspects of maintaining this law and order. It therefore, means that in conducting your various roles, you must have at heart the interest of Nigeria and the people of Rivers State in particular.”

Ibas emphasised, “I will hereby direct that you increase your patrols. If criminals have access to our resources, of course that means you are emboldening them.

“The responsibility has been given to individuals and organisations, as such, we must all work towards making sure that this state is very, very safe.”

The sole administrator pointed to the importance of encouraging dialogue that can support the efforts of intelligence gathering in addressing issues of kidnapping, illegal, and communal conflicts.

Ibas frowned at a situation where vehicles have no registered plate numbers or concealed ones and are allowed to ply the roads within the state, which pose security threats. He also warned against tankers overturning on roads which mostly causes obstructions.

Ibas insisted that such acts considered as serious traffic offenses, must be curbed in order to minimise the number of casualties and deaths that are witnessed on the roads.

“Our efforts must be to ensure that we reduce insecurity. There is a need for collaboration between you and intelligence sharing agencies of the federal government.

“Of course, you have your intelligence in the paramilitary, therefore you must work together with the military, the DSS and even the local intelligence in the various communities that you find yourself in.

“You have vehicles that ply our roads that are not registered. You have vehicles that have their plate numbers covered. I do not think that there is any law that permits such individuals to drive on roads.

“I want to ask the Federal Road Safety Corps working in collaboration with Civil Defence and the Police to ensure that you bring these acts to the minimum,” Ibas said.

He urged them to ensure that as they relate with residents in local government headquarters and villages, they must promote peace and security through community policing, adding that they must provide requisite operational assistance to their colleagues in the Police and other security agencies in providing public awareness.

“I think while the Ministry of Information at the state level will coordinate this activity, I will want you all to work together to let those at the grassroots level know the impact of not having a secure environment.

“I think you are all cut out for your jobs, and you know exactly what is expected of you. I want to appreciate your contributions to the development and security of Rivers State over the years and count on all your support to ensure that we even secure Rivers State at this point in time more than ever,” he said.

He assured that the state government will continue to do whatever can be done to support their operations to ensure that maximal success is achieved in keeping the state safe and secure.

In his speech, the Controller of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Rivers State Command, Mr. Felix Madumere, expressed appreciation for the valuable information the sole administrator has shared with them, which will help in their daily operations.

Madumere, while wishing the sole administrator success in his mandate, assured that they will provide needed support to ensure that he leaves an enduring legacy of success.

In another development, the Conference of Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (CP-PDP) in a statement by its Chairman, Obinna Nwachukwu, warned the sole administrator to stay clear of the Rivers allocation.

”Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) must note that no provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) grants him the power under any circumstance whatsoever to appropriate or disburse allocation or any fund accruable to Rivers State,’ the statement explained.

The PDP professionals drew the attention of Vice-Admiral Ibas to the express provision of Section 120 (3) (4) of the 1999 Constitution which provides that: ”(3) No money shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the State, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the State, unless the issue of these moneys has been authorised by a law of the House of Assembly of the State”

”(4) “No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the state or any other public fund of the state except in the manner prescribed by the House of Assembly.”

In addition, the PDP Professionals said further, ”Section 121 (1) of the 1999 Constitution is clear in empowering only the democratically elected governor of the state to prepare and lay the state’s revenue and expenditure estimates before the State House of Assembly for appropriation and authorisation for spending.

”Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) should note that his appointment by President Tinubu as Sole Administrator of Rivers State even with the endorsement of the National Assembly, remains illegal as it is completely inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, with specific reference to Section 5(2) which provides that the executive powers of a state shall be vested only in the democratically elected governor of the state.

”Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (retd) is particularly referred to Section 1(3) of the 1999 Constitution which provides that “if any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution, this Constitution shall prevail and that other law, to the extent of the inconsistency be void”. The endorsement of his appointment by the National Assembly is therefore void not being consistent with the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”, the PDP Professionals stated.

Meanwhile, women from 23 LGAs in their hundreds who gathered under the aegis of Rivers Women Unite for Sim (RWUS) in their black attires wailing and weeping, asked God to change the situation in the state for better.

Some of the women that spoke with journalists, at the prayer session, condemned the emergency and suspension of elected political officers of the state, and urged the President to annul the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and others suspended officers of the state.

A participant at the prayer session and Niger Delta activist, Ms Ankio Briggs told THISDAY that the battle in the state was for the control of the political and economic power of the state.

Briggs said, “What is being done in Rivers State today is going to affect the whole of Nigeria, is going to affect the Niger Delta region, not just Rivers State.

“Anybody who thinks that this is just about two people, three people disagreeing on political power sharing or whatever, that is far from the truth. Is about a group of people who are Rivers indigenes and a group of people who are not Rivers indigenes, wanting to take control of the political power and economic power of Rivers State, and that will not happen.”

She added, “Since the Sole Administrator came in, it’s been made very clear by people who have read law that the method in which he came in is not known to the constitution. Is not known to the constitution because the President doesn’t have a right under Section 305 of the Constitution, to remove an elected governor, his deputy and as we have now come to accept because the Supreme Court made that judgement that is faulty, but is mentioned by the Supreme Court, we accept it. That, people who have left their constitutional duty to the people of Rivers State are today claiming that they didn’t leave.

“Also, people who resigned their positions as commissioners were made to come back by this same governor that they have suspended, because the President said so, and they resigned again after they came back. So, there is something sinister going on, the President and people who are advising him are trying Rivers State as an entry point. It’s not fair and is not going to be allowed to work

“Some of the questions I want to ask the sole administrator is that: there is a law that says, a local government chairman must be voted for, you can no longer appoint interim or acting local government, that is a law that is already standing. So, whatever the sole administrator is doing in the area of local government is wrong and unacceptable and at some point, we will approach the court.”

Briggs continued that, “The sole administrator by removing people who have been politically appointed by the political head of Rivers State; Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy is unconstitutional, by removing the people he (Fubara) has a constitutional right to appoint is unacceptable and he is over reaching what would be legally his position, because even the way he came and why he came is under dispute.

“This is dangerous, we have been saying this is dangerous for what Rivers people are doing to Rivers State and it is even more dangerous that the President seems to be part of it,” Briggs added.

Also speaking, a prominent legal practitioner in the state and member of the group, Adata Bio-Briggs, condemned the process that brought the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibas to the state, saying that his emergence was illegal.

She said “We have been expecting so much that by now the illegalities happening would have been reversed. A state of emergency is not something you need in a peaceful state. We have a state where this should be called for, is not Rivers State, we don’t have ethnic issues, no war, it’s been very peaceful.

“Have they asked what the people want, Rivers people want our governor back, we want the state of emergency lifted. Illegality cannot beget legality; we are in a democracy and we should follow democratic practices. Is as if our votes have been taken away from us, but we are gathered seeking that God should intervene,” Bio-Briggs stressed.

On her part, Dr. Juliet Berewari, a native of Ahoada East, explained that the gathering was to pray for continued peace in the state. She said “Since the inception of the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, we have always prayed because he is a man that advocates for peace. You can attest that since he came there has been peace in Rivers state and so, we continue to pray. Today is our Thursday monthly prayer day.”

Speaking on the emergency rule, she said “I believe that emergencies are declared where there is a crisis, there is no emergency and there has not been an emergency in the state. If two people are having a disagreement, will that call for emergency declaration in Rivers State? There is nothing that warranted the state of emergency and that is why everybody is condemning it, we are also condemning it”.