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Humbled: Fubara Buckles In Renewed Row With Lawmakers
Barely two months after the suspension of emergency rule in Rivers State and the reinstatement of democratic structures, tensions have resurfaced between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and members of the State House of Assembly led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule.
During its 31st Legislative Sitting, the House condemned the vandalisation of property at the Township School in Port Harcourt and other schools across the state. Lawmakers lamented the decayed infrastructure in public primary and secondary schools and accused the executive arm of doing little to address the situation.
Acting on the report of the House Committee on Education, lawmakers questioned what Governor Fubara had done with the more than N600 billion reportedly left in the state’s coffers by the immediate past Sole Administrator, Rear Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas (rtd), when he exited office in September.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in February 2025 suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Prof. Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly for six months over a prolonged political crisis that was said to have crippled governance. When democratic structures returned on September 18, 2025, it was claimed that the governor, his predecessor and political benefactor Nyesom Wike, and the Assembly had resolved to work together for the stability of the state.
The latest exchanges now suggest that the fragile peace may be cracking.
Speaking during plenary, Speaker Martins Amaewhule accused the Rivers State Government of failing to address the deplorable condition of schools, alleging that available funds were instead spent on sponsoring protests.
“Public schools in Rivers State, particularly at the primary and secondary school levels, are in deplorable conditions; it is a fact,” Amaewhule said. “The reason is abandonment by people who were supposed to do the needful. As of yesterday, the House Committee Chairman on Education discovered a school where one teacher is teaching two classes. There is no toilet, no electricity, yet that school shares a fence with the PHED headquarters.
“That school is directly opposite the police headquarters, yet vandals have taken over and destroyed what little facilities they had. The worst is that despite the concerns we raised when this motion first came up, nothing has happened. The Rivers State Executive Council has done nothing to remedy the situation. It is a sad commentary.”
The Speaker said the state could not continue to operate schools without teachers and recalled that the last administration had initiated a process to employ 10,000 workers before leaving office. “What happened to that plan?” he asked.
“But when it is time for protest, funds will come. When it is time to employ teachers and put them in the classrooms, there will be no money. We cannot fold our arms while our children continue to suffer and our teachers continue to cry,” he added.
Amaewhule questioned why a state with significant financial resources had not moved to address the basic needs of its schools.
“Is it that we don’t have funds? Of course we have. As at the time Administrator Ibas was leaving, he left over N600 billion in the account of Rivers State. Can’t such funds be used to remedy the situation in our schools?” he asked.
He said it was unacceptable for schools near the Government House to be so short-staffed that “pedestrians are called in to help teach pupils.”
“We are the only people mandated by law to fight for our people. This should not happen in Rivers State,” he added.
Responding to the accusations, Governor Fubara said his administration would only employ workers based on the genuine needs of the state, not for political satisfaction.
Speaking at the 123rd/124th Combined Quarterly General Meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers on Monday, the governor said the rot in the education sector did not begin under his administration and that steps were being taken to address the challenges.
“Our vision is clear,” he said. “First, it is to ensure that Rivers State is safe. It includes providing quality healthcare services, which we are already delivering. The records are there.”
He listed ongoing work at zonal hospitals in Bori, Ahoada, Omoku and Degema, adding that his administration was focused on completing critical projects.
On education, Governor Fubara said the issues predated his tenure. “You are aware of the poor state of our schools. They never got to that state in one month or one year; it has been an issue,” he said.
He added that political distractions had slowed progress. “Before the unfortunate incident that led to the emergency, was there any month we had one week of rest? But even in the face of crisis, we remained focused.”
Addressing complaints over the halted employment of 10,000 workers, Fubara said his administration would not bow to pressure.
“I will employ, but it must be based on the needs of the state. I won’t engage in political employment to please everybody,” he said.
Meanwhile, the governor appear to be unable to walk his talk against the accusation of the lawmakers as an announcement credited to his office has approved teachers appointment he earlier suspended.
In fulfillment of his promise to bridge the manpower gap in public schools across Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, has approved the appointment of new teachers across the state, a statement signed by Hon. Sam Ogeh
Chairman, Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board read.
“As part of this initiative, His Excellency has directed the revalidation of the 1000 teachers recruited in 2023.
“”To this end, all the affected teachers are required to report to the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) for the revalidation exercise.
“Date:Wednesday, December 3, 2025.
Time:* 10:00 a.m”.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has announced Senator Ireti Heebah Kingibe as the party’s flag bearer for the Federal Capital Territory senatorial election ahead of the 2027 general polls.
Kingibe secured a landslide victory in the party’s primary election, polling 17,535 votes to defeat her sole challenger, Mubarak Tijjani, who garnered 806 votes.
Declaring the results at the ADC secretariat in Abuja, the chairman and returning officer for the senatorial and House of Representatives primaries, Abubakar Adamu, confirmed Kingibe as the winner of the exercise.
The primary election also produced candidates for the two House of Representatives seats in the FCT.
In the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency, Bala Iyah emerged victorious with 4,937 votes, defeating Yahaya Fatima Goya, who polled 2,015 votes, while Ma’aji Johnson Bello secured 1,546 votes. Ismaila Ishak Ozigi received 105 votes.
For the Abaji/Gwagwalada/Kwali/Kuje Federal Constituency, Alhassan Salihu clinched the party’s ticket with 9,016 votes, defeating Khalid A. Haruna, who polled 2,955 votes.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission monitored the conduct of the primaries.
Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has expressed confidence that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure victory in the 2027 presidential election, stating that no opposition candidate, including former President Goodluck Jonathan, can prevent the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from retaining power.
Namadi made the remarks after casting his vote during the APC presidential primary election held at his polling unit in Kafin Hausa Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
The governor reiterated his commitment to delivering more than one million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next general election, saying the target was realistic given the widespread support the APC enjoys across Jigawa State.
He noted that the large turnout witnessed during the primary election demonstrated the confidence party members and residents have in both President Tinubu and the APC-led administration.
According to Namadi, the peaceful and transparent conduct of the exercise also reflected the President’s respect for democratic values and internal party democracy.
The governor further stated that the outcome of the APC primary election signalled what to expect in the 2027 polls, predicting an overwhelming victory for the ruling party nationwide.
Namadi described Jigawa as one of the APC’s strongest support bases, pointing out that the state ranks among those with the highest number of registered voters in the country.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 63-year-old Chinese woman for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large consignment of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
The suspect, described as Ting Hung Kiong who naturalised in Malaysia, was arrested on Sunday, May 17, 2026, upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from Thailand via Dubai on an Emirates Airline flight.
This was contained in a statement made available to the column.ng on (today) Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, NDLEA operatives attached to the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall intercepted her after she was found to have two large travel boxes containing 31.0 kilograms of the illicit substance.
“During an interview, the 63-year-old suspect who claims she works as a caregiver in Malaysia stated that her daughter sponsored her trip from Malaysia to Thailand and subsequently to Nigeria.
“She further disclosed that she spent two weeks in Thailand, before she was handed the illicit consignment at the Thailand airport to deliver in Nigeria,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA also announced the interception of another major drug shipment at the Lagos airport import shed.
“Following close monitoring of the consignment by NDLEA operatives since its arrival from India aboard an Emirates Cargo flight, the 29 large cartons containing One Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ten (1,825,710) tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, worth Two Billion, One Hundred and Ninety Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Two Thousand Naira (N2,190,852,000) were eventually handed over to the NDLEA by the Customs Service on Friday 22nd May 2026,” it said.
In another operation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, NDLEA operatives on May 20 arrested a suspect, Onyeka Valentine Emeka, during inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sierra Leone via Addis Ababa.
The suspect, according to the agency, excreted 185.36 grams of cocaine while under observation.
Babafemi added that “at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, a 29-year-old building engineer, Babatunde Prosper Afekhide was on Wednesday 21st May arrested by NDLEA operatives while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Abuja via Addis Ababa to Milan Malpensa, Italy.
“A search conducted on his luggage led to the recovery of 10,280 pills of Tramaking 225mg; Tramadol 200mg and Tapentadol 250mg. The opioids were concealed using foil paper and hidden inside a carton, in a suitcase, obviously to evade detection.
“In yet another operation at a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 1,174 pills of MDMA (Ecstasy) concealed in bicycle luggage carrier heading to Netherlands; 66 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden in soap container going to the United States and 18 tablets of tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream container heading to the United Kingdom,” the agency said.
In Edo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided Igwe community in Owan East Local Government Area, where 59 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 489kg and 9kg of cannabis seeds were recovered.
The agency also said a 30-year-old suspect, Isah Sani, was arrested with 196,000 pills of Exol-5 along the Zaria–Kano road in Kano State on May 20, while operatives at the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, recovered 59kg of skunk from a warehouse in Mowo on May 19.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives on May 23 raided a warehouse in Ikole-Ekiti and recovered 1,116 kilograms of skunk, arresting a 54-year-old suspect, Ogundana Adebayo Julius, in connection with the seizure.
The agency also disclosed continued nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres and communities across several states.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and charged them to sustain the agency’s drug supply reduction and sensitisation efforts.
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