The odious and unwarranted attack on the governor by the Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule, Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, is a lamentable manifestation of the Assembly’s egregious failure to prioritize the welfare of the people of Rivers State. The governor, resolutely focused on developing the state, has been met with unrelenting distraction and obstructionism, epitomized by the Speaker’s puerile posturing.
The 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, has earned the ignominious distinction of being the most confrontational and retrogressive Assembly in the state’s democratic history. This Assembly has been characterized by unbridled partisanship, unyielding obstinacy, and a myopic refusal to engage in the development of the state, thereby precipitating a crisis of governance that has imperiled the very fabric of the state’s development.
The unprecedented state of emergency imposed on the state, resulting in the suspension of the elected governor and legislators, is a stark testament to the Assembly’s abject failure to prioritize the development initiative of the governor. This unprecedented calamity, which has no parallel in the annals of the state’s history, is a scathing indictment of the Assembly leadership and their inability to rise above the fray of petty politics.
The Speaker’s initial proposal to investigate the Sole Administrator, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas immediately after the state of emergency was lifted was met with a stiff criticism, is a risible attempt to deflect attention from the Assembly’s own culpability in the state’s woeful state of affairs. The claim that the Sole Administrator left over N600B in the state account is a red herring, and the Speaker’s insistence that the development in the state does not justify the amount is laughable. To many it is an invitation to crisis for the second time. The people are watching.
It is nothing short of risible for the Speaker to lecture the governor on the state’s finances, urging him to prioritize the educational sector and infrastructure development. His Excellency Sir Dr Siminalayi Fubara has been in office for barely two years including the unfortunate state of emergency, and the Speaker’s impatience is not only unwarranted but also unbecoming. The governor’s first year in office was marked by an impeachment attempt on October 30th, 2023, and a state of emergency imposed on March 18th, 2025, which lasted for six months. The Speaker’s assertion that the purported N600B left by the Sole Administrator has not translated into tangible improvements in the state’s development is a tacit admission of the Assembly’s own failure because it takes two to tango, it is the sacred duty of the assembly to support the governor’s development initiatives not anyone else.
The reprehensible neglect of educational infrastructure and recruitment in the sector after eight years by our previous administration, led to lowering of the educational and infrastructural standard set by Chief Sir Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s administration, this development has left the state in a parlous state. The Speaker’s criticism of the governor’s performance, instructing him on areas to focus like roads,rebuilding of schools, provision of infrastructure and other essential services is regrettable. How many laws have this 10th assembly passed that has impacted positively on the people, if not distraction.
The 10th Assembly’s propensity for distraction and abandonment of their law-making duties, in favor of playing politics, is a betrayal of the people’s trust. What else must the people do? Their actions, or lack thereof, will be etched in history as a stark reminder of their dereliction of duty.
The Amaechi’s administration recruitment of 13,000 teachers was a fleeting moment of glory, as the eight years that followed saw the teaching staff dwindle to a mere shadow of its former self. Retired staff were not replaced, human capacity development was paid lip service and students and pupils were left to languish in dilapidated buildings, sans furniture, and sans hope. This egregious neglect is a testament to our last administration’s callous disregard for the future of the state’s youth. The LGA administration failed to complement the state’s development.
The RSHA leadership would do well to hold the previous administration accountable for the decay in the educational sector, rather than carping at the current administration. It is the height of hypocrisy for anyone to lecture the governor on governance, when his own hands are soiled with the stain of neglect and ineptitude.
The good people of Rivers State deserve better than the politics of distraction and blame-shifting game. The people
deserve a government that prioritizes their welfare, and the current administration is committed to delivering just that. The Hon. Speaker should desist from his obstructionist tactics and allow the His Excellency Sir Dr Siminalayi Fubara to concentrate on the task at hand to reposition, rebuild the state and secure the future of its youth.
The chronic dysfunction within Rivers State’s educational sector did not originate with the administration of His Excellency Sir Dr Siminalayi Fubara.Rather, it is a woeful legacy bequeathed by our last administration, rendering it injudicious to besmirch the current government’s reputation.
The governor, cognizant of the state’s exigencies, remains resolutely focused on rectifying the entrenched anomalies. He must not be hindered by detractors, but rather, rallied behind and supported in his quest to revitalize the sector to a world class standard.
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It is palpably unfair to expect the current administration to single-handedly rectify the egregious errors of our last administration. Instead, we the good people of Rivers State should unite in our efforts to hold our last administration accountable for the decay and desolation that has beset the educational sector.
His Excellency Sir Dr Siminalayi Fubara’s vision for the state is laudable, and his determination to transform the educational landscape is unwavering. He must be given the latitude to execute his plans, unencumbered by the machinations of naysayers and opportunists. The people of Rivers State must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with His Excellency Sir Dr Siminalayi Fubara, in this critical juncture, to ensure a brighter future for our children and the future of the state as a whole.
The governor’s focus on education is commendable, and the state’s children should no longer be forced to learn in classrooms without roofs, chairs, and doors.
His Excellency Sir Dr Siminalayi Fubara has stated unequivocally that improving the poor state of education in Rivers State is a top priority for his administration. Speaking on Monday at the 123/124 combined quarterly meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt, he revealed that education will receive the largest allocation in the 2026 budget, aimed at overhauling and strengthening the sector which is in disarray. The Chief Servant assured that his administration is committed to building a more functional, modern, and inclusive education system for the state as never been before in our democratic journey.
Dr Goodluck Nwobike KSC, fcifc.
Writes from Port Harcourt.