Rivers finance commissioner resigns

Rivers Commissioner for Finance, Mr Isaac Kamalu, resigned his appointment on Wednesday.

He is the second commissioner to resign from the cabinet on Wednesday after Gov. Siminialaye Fubara, announced a slight cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday.

The first to resign was Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In the cabinet reshuffle, the governor redeployed Kamalu to the Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment while Adangor was redeployed to the Ministry of Special Duties.

Kamalu and Adangor are believed to be loyal to FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers who had been having a face-off with his successor, Gov. Fubara.

Kamalu was Commissioner for Finance in Wike’s cabinet, while Adangor was the former governor’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

Kamalu, like Adangor submitted his resignation letter to the Secretary to the State Government in which he stated that: “regrettably, the peace in government that we, citizens and residents of the state desire has remained out-of-reach.

“This has affected our ability to protect and defend the gains we made these past years. It is not the point of service that is important but the climate.

“Our present circumstance makes service delivery extremely challenging. In view of this, I find it difficult to accept the redeployment; I do not accept it; I reject it.’’

In his letter of resignation earlier on Wednesday, Adangor stated that: “I am no longer willing to continue to serve in the administration of Gov. Fubara in any capacity whatsoever.

“It is important to mention that the governor had in the past couple of weeks wilfully interfered in the performance of my duties as the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the state.

“This, he has done by directing me not to defend, oppose or appear in suits instituted against the Attorney-General and the government of Rivers by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the government of Rivers.’’