RIVERS State commissioner for education, Chinedu Mmom, who was reappointed following his earlier resignation from the office, has again quit the cabinet of Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Mmom tendered his resignation letter on Wednesday, May 15, citing a toxic workspace as the reason for his leaving, and stating that his resignation would be effective immediately.
“It is a truism that a calm and friendly environment would stimulate efficient service delivery and enhanced productivity. It is however unfortunate to note that my current work space has become toxic and no longer guarantees a favourable environment to enable me (to) realise my set targets for the education sector in the state.
“There is (a) loss of trust, animosity and sharp division among colleagues in the same cabinet, which is unhealthy and very unfortunate. I want to thank Your Excellency for the opportunity to serve in your cabinet and wish you well in your administration,” the letter read.
Mmom was one of many commissioners who resigned in December 2023, following a rift between the state’s immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, and Fubara.
The commissioners, believed to be loyal to Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), resigned en masse, but were reinstated after President Bola Tinubu waded into the crisis and brokered a truce between the parties.
Reinstating the commissioners who had earlier quit their jobs was one of the conditions for peace given by the President during the resolution, and they were invited for screening by the State House of Assembly in January 2024.
Coincidentally, 27 out of the 32 members of the state House of Assembly are believed to be loyal to Wike.
On Monday, December 11, the 27 Assembly members defected from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), the party ruling at the federal level in which Wike serves as a minister.
Since the defection, the executive and legislature in the state have operated government like a cat and rat, rubbishing the President’s peace deal.
Fubara reinstated the commissioners and other aides who quit his government, following the truce, but the deal only helped the war masquerade as a momentary peace.
On several occasions this year, the lawmakers have overridden the governor on state policies and laws as the crisis gained strength and ballooned again.
The feud was so palpable in Fubara’s cabinet that the governor openly confessed his commissioners were working against him.
On May 11, the governor ordered the relocation of the state House of Assembly, hours after the state High Court directed 27 lawmakers who defected to the APC to stop parading themselves as lawmakers.
The court’s decision came days after the governor vowed he could stop recognising the lawmakers and their offices if he so wished.
He issued the threat after the defected lawmakers had again initiated impeachment proceedings against him.
The ICIR reports that three commissioners including Mmom, have resigned from the Fubara’s government in the past few days as Nigerians await the end of the dramas in the state governance.
The first two aggrieved appointees who left the government recently include Zaccheaus Adangor, the commissioner for justice and Isaac Kamalu, former commissioner for finance.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.