Rivers: Questions As LGA Chair Who Taunted, Insulted Gov. Fubara, Bags Big Job From Ibas

By Adesina Soyooye

For publicly dubbing the, now, suspended Governor of Rivers State, “Mumu Governor”, a former Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Council has bagged a big job from the Sole Administrator of the State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, rtd.

Recall that Dr Samuel Nwanosike, as a serving LGA Chairman, at a public fora, referred to the then unsuspended Governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara, a “Mumu Governor”.

However, Ibas has,  surprisingly, appointed the unabashed staunch loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to a juicy office.

Nwanosike is now  the new Head of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA). appointment came on the heels of the surprisingly and much criticised dissolution of Commissions and Boards of Parastatals and Institutions by Ibas.

With the appointment of Nwanosike to high profile position, the story in Rivers State is that the Sole Administrator has lost the moral high ground of neutrality.They say he has shown where his loyalty lies. They point out that he could not have been ignorant of the relationship between Wike and Nwanosike and certainly not deaf to the insult hauled at Fubara by Nwanosike. They say it questions the neutrality of Ibas in the political crisis,  a product of the bad blood which flows between Wike and Fubara.

This appointment, they are saying, is likely to highten the political distrust and tension in the State.

Nwanosike’s appointment took effect from April 11, 2025, and was announced by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Professor Ibibia Worika.

President Bola Tinubu had on March 18, declared a State of Emergency in Rivers State, suspended the democratically elected Governor Fubara, his Deputy, Dr Ngozi Odu, and Members of the State House of Assembly from office for an initial period of six months. He appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, rtd, a former Chief of Naval Staff, as the State’s Sole Administrator.