Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara revealed on Tuesday that some recently resigned commissioners left no records in their ministries. This announcement was made during the swearing-in of eight new commissioners confirmed by the state House of Assembly and loyal to Fubara.
The resignations of nine commissioners, loyal to Fubara’s predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, came amid ongoing tensions between Fubara and Wike.
In his address at the swearing-in ceremony held at the Executive Council Chambers in Government House, Port Harcourt, Fubara noted that after the departure of the former commissioners, government officials struggled to find essential records in their ministries. He emphasized the importance of maintaining accurate records for effective governance and civil service operations.
The newly appointed commissioners are Charles Bekee, Collins Onunwo, Solomon Eke, Dr. Peter Medee, Elloka Amadi, Basoene Benibo, Tambari Gbara, and Dr. Ovy Chukwuma.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, quoted Fubara saying, “Some of them left here as commissioners, and there are no records in their ministries. We’ve had a few meetings with people. We were looking for records which we could not find, but that is for them and their gods, I am not bothered about that. But, you that are coming in now, please, do this work as seasoned administrators. Work with your Permanent Secretaries. The things that you don’t know, ask questions from them, they’ll tell you, they will teach you too. It doesn’t reduce you as not being the head. But it helps you to succeed as a good administrator.”
Fubara urged the new commissioners to adopt a diligent work ethic and attention to detail, emphasizing that this should be reflected in their record-keeping practices.
“This government is built on high-level discipline,” he continued. “From the time I started working as a civil servant, and in the Office of the Accountant-General, we didn’t play with keeping good records. I can boldly say that the records are there from 2007 to date. Likewise, during the immediate past administration, I carefully kept my records clean.”
The governor concluded by stating, “I am not bothered or afraid. Call me any day, call me anytime, I will stand and defend every action, every decision that we have taken.”
