The Rivers State House of Assembly has requested Governor Siminalayi Fubara to submit a list of commissioner nominees for consideration.
The request was made during the Assembly’s resumed sitting on Thursday, less than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu ended the emergency rule in the state.
President Tinubu announced the end of the six-month emergency rule in Rivers State, citing a new spirit of understanding among stakeholders.
Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, were expected to take over the leadership of the state, but as of 4:50 p.m., they had yet to arrive at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
The lawmakers, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, asked Fubara to forward the list of commissioner nominees to the House for consideration.
The Assembly also set its legislative agenda for the remainder of the year, with only one item on the Order Paper for the day.
The Governor’s response to the Assembly’s request would be crucial in determining the future of Rivers State’s governance.
The reaction of stakeholders and residents would be important in shaping the state’s future.
An excited crowd of supporters gathered at the Government House waiting to welcome the governor and his deputy in the early hour of the day.
Officials from the state emergency services were also on the ground.
Fubara and his deputy had been away from the governance of the state for six months, after President Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing a political crisis.
Tinubu had also suspended the governor, his deputy, and the House of Assembly members.
The state of emergency ended on Wednesday.
The former administrator, retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who handed over the reins of power on Wednesday night, urged political actors in the state to embrace mutual respect and dialogue in a state broadcast.
