The Rivers State Government have downplayed the resignation of five commissioners loyal to to Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, from the cabinet of Siminalayi Fubara, saying the reason they gave for resigning is false.
The commissioners, Prof. Chinedu Mmom (Education) and Dr Gift Worlu (Housing), Auten Ben-Chioma (Environment), Mrs. Inime Aguma (Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Dr Jacobson Nbina (Transport) and Dr Gift Worlu (Housing), claimed that the were operating in a toxic environment.
However, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed the claim of toxicity.
According to him: “It is common. That is the kind of thing you find in a healthy environment. People have the right to be appointed, sacked or they resign. So, it is not anything new. It didn’t start today.
“Those who resigned have made up their minds and you can’t stop them.
“They are just trying to look for the clause to clutch. There was nothing to talk about toxic or no toxic. We all operate in the same atmosphere. The governor allowed us the liberty to operate and we’re enjoying his liberal nature.”
He admitted that the commissioners would missed but that governance must go on.
“Yes, as humans, why would you not miss your colleagues who used to sit beside you and the person is not there?
“If you say you cannot miss the person then you are not human. As Commissioner for Information, the man who sits next to me is the Commissioner for Housing because it is done in alphabetical order.
“We have gone to the level where we can just let those who want to go, go and have some level of rest. And if they have gone to rest, allow them to rest. This is the time and opportunity they have to do the most honourable thing, which is to say ‘I no longer want to be where I am. Let me go the other way’.
“And where we are now is that I honour those who left, those who are here, and those who will still be there till the end of the regime.
“I can say that they worked as a family. They never raised anything in the area of objectivity. If they had any reason to resign it may have been something else that came out of another understanding. But as to whether they are moles, I can’t read their minds,” Johnson said.
