The Rivers State University in Port Harcourt has dismissed allegations that Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed the university management not to accept a former state commissioner, Professor Zacchaeus Adangor, back to the institution from his leave of absence.
News About Nigeria reported that Professor Adangor, a former commissioner for justice and attorney-general in Rivers State, made the allegation while appearing as a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Thursday.
However, the acting registrar of the university, I.B.S. Harry, in a statement on Saturday, described the claims as untrue.
According to Mrs. Harry, Professor Adangor had applied for a leave of absence to serve on the Rivers State Executive Council and had yet to apply for resumption of duty since his resignation as commissioner in April.
She said, “We wish to state categorically that there has not been any directive by Siminalayi Fubara to the university management not to accept Prof. Adangor back to his duties as claimed in the interview.”
The feud between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the FCT minister, has been ongoing since last October, with the crisis splitting the lawmakers into two factions.
The development has led to a series of recent events, including the emergence of Victor Oko-Jumbo as a factional speaker of the Rivers Assembly, the disownment of Oko-Jumbo as speaker by the Clerk of the House, and a Rivers High Court ruling barring 25 lawmakers loyal to Wike from parading themselves as members of the state assembly.
Additionally, Governor Fubara issued an Executive Order relocating the Rivers Assembly to the Government House.
The order surfaced days after he declared the assembly non-existent.
The Executive Order, dated October 30, 2023, also came hours after his spokesperson announced the election of Oko-Jumbo as factional speaker of the assembly.
