Citizenship News
The South South Professional Women Association International (SSPWAI), has accused the Rivers State House of Assembly of plotting to impeach the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara over his refusal to share resources of the state, allegedly among political godfathers as well as the Assembly members.
Recall that the Rivers State House of Assembly had commenced actions to impeach Fubara accusing him of spending state resources without budgetary provisions as well as Assembly approvals.
The Chief Judge of Rivers State, Justice Simeon Amadi, had also declined to set up a seven-man panel to investigate allegations of gross misconduct against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, following a request from the State House of Assembly.
Justice Amadi said he was legally restrained from acting on the request due to subsisting interim injunctions issued by a state High Court on January 16, 2026, in separate suits filed by the governor and his deputy.
The allegations against Fubara and his Deputy include budgetary impropriety, failure to present the 2026 appropriation bill to the assembly, unauthorised expenditure of public funds, withholding of statutory allocations to the legislature, and other acts deemed to constitute gross misconduct.
Following an ex parte application by the governor and his deputy, Fiberesima, a state high court judge, issued an interim order restraining the chief judge from receiving or acting on any impeachment notice against Fubara and Odu.
In a reaction during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, January 25, the South South Women Professionals adopted the position that “the bottom-line is the refusal of His Excellency Sir Fubara to collaborate with the RSHA to squander the resources of Rivers State.”
President of the SSPWAI, DR Mrs Constance Mbang, addressed the press briefing.
She said Fubara has rather chosen to use Rivers money judiciously for the welfare of the citizens of the state and the provision of basic infrastructure in the state, and this, the Assembly found offensive.
Her words: “When former Rivers Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) was in office during the period of emergency rule, the House cajoled Ibas to release the sum of N350 million to each member of the RSHA under the name of constituency project.
“Ibas also bought brand new Prado Jeep for each of the assembly members. These are facts. The vehicles are being driven around the state by the law makers, who in actual fact are not making any law.”
Reports, last week, cited a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Etche Constituency I, Hon. Ignatius Obenachi Onwuka to have given credence to the controversial ₦350 million reportedly released to lawmakers for constituency projects.
He, however, said that the amount was only part of the N1 billion each of the legislators was expecting for their constituency projects for the year.
President of the SSPWAI, DR Mrs Constance Mbang, also alleged that upon the return of democratic governance after emergency rule, the same lawmakers approached the Governor, Fubara for approval of constituency projects funds which they want captured in a supplementary budget but the Governor refused on grounds that the current budget by Ibas that was approved by the National Assembly is still operational, and will run from June 2025 to June 2026, and that a supplementary budget would only be prepared if there is need for any new expenditure item.
“Unfortunately, the position of the governor did not sit well with the lawmakers whose only ambition is to milk the state dry in the name of constituency projects. They don’t want to know whether Rivers people are eating or not, they don’t want to know if the people have basic health, education, road, water and other facilities or not,” she alleged.
She also cited what the women professionals consider as the implications of the impeachment of Governor Fubara and his Deputy.
“First of all, we are happy with the gallantry displayed by the Rivers State Chief Judge who rejected an order to set up an impeachment panel. The question is, why will the RSHA want to impeach the Governor and his Deputy at the same time?
“Assuming the governor did wrong, what then is the offense of the Deputy Governor? Why must they go together if not for a hidden agenda?
“The answer is simple: the Wike group led by the RSHA Speaker, Hon. Martins Amaewhule is positioning him (speaker) to take over as governor after the impeachment.
“Recall that the current Speaker Martins Amaewhule is an Ikwere man, the ethnic group that has ruled Rivers State for a long time before the emergence of Fubara, an Ijaw man. Why will they not allow an Ijaw man to enjoy his full terms of office like every other ethnic group has done?”
The women group then called on all well-meaning Nigerians including President Bola Ahmed TINUBU, GCFR and the international community to wade into the political crisis in Rivers State and call the RSHA members to order.
They said Rivers state is home to both Nigerians and a large international community with their families and business ventures especially international oil companies.
“These people need to be reassured of their safety. Anything that happens in the state ultimately affects the national economy and Nigeria’s international image and reputation.
“Furthermore, we also call on the National Assembly to immediately take over the legislative duties of the RSHA since they have proved incapable of carrying out their legislative functions in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The South-South Professional Women Association International (SSPWAI) is a non-political professional women association established on the 10th October, 2015 with the objective of bringing together and uniting the south-south women of various professions with the purpose of contributing ideas, skills and talents and even our resources to the development of the Niger Delta region.
It has members spread across 26 countries including Nigeria, Africa, United states, Europe, Asia and other parts of the world with headquarters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and it engages in advocacy, mentorship, manpower development, girl-child education, lobbying, and women empowerment programmes.
