By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Rivers State House of Assembly has begun impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Oduh.

During plenary presided over by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, according to a live broadcast on Channels Television on Thursday, the Majority Leader, Major Jack, read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Fubara.

“The governor does not even want to present any budget, because if he wanted to, he would have brought it all this while. Siminalayi Fubara is a mistake. Rivers state has never had it this bad,” the Speaker said.

Twenty-six members of the Rivers State House of Assembly signed the notice, which they alleged was against the Nigerian Constitution.

Amaewhule said the notice will be served to Fubara in the next seven days.

The Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Linda Stewart, also read out the notice of allegations and gross misconduct against Oduh.

Relying on Section 188 of the Nigerian Constitution, Jack reeled out seven points of alleged gross misconduct against Fubara.

Some of the accusations include the demolition of the Assembly Complex, extra budgetary spending, withholding funds meant for the Assembly Service Commission, and refusal to obey the Supreme Court on the financial autonomy of the house.

After Jack laid his notice before the Speaker, who said the notice would be served to the governor in seven days, the deputy leader, Linda Stewart, also brought forward a notice of gross misconduct against Odu.

According to the report, some of the allegations against Odu included reckless and unconstitutional spending of public funds, obstruction of the House of Assembly from performing its constitutional duties as outlined by the 1999 Constitution, conniving to allow unauthorised persons to occupy offices without proper screening by the legitimate House of Assembly.

“Siminalayi Fubara and Ngozi Odu are nothing but a threat to our nascent democracy. If they are allowed to remain in office, I do not know what will become of our democracy. They are moving about from place to place, spending taxpayers’ money without approval,” the Speaker added.

Other allegations were that she approached another group of people for budgetary approval instead of the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly, seizure of salaries and allowances accruing to the RSHA and the Rivers State Assembly Service Commission.

The move is the second attempt by the lawmakers to impeach Fubara and his deputy, following a similar one in March 2025.

In the notice signed by 26 members of the Rivers Assembly at that time, the lawmakers accused Fubara and Odu of gross misconduct after the governor fell out with the immediate governor of the state, Nyesom Wike.

Following escalating tensions in the oil-rich state, President Bola Tinubu intervened and declared a state of emergency.

The president suspended Fubara, his deputy and the Rivers Assembly and said the development is “required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has declared its intention to proceed with an investigation into the sacked Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed, despite the withdrawal of a petition against him by businessman Aliko Dangote.

Mr. Dangote had earlier petitioned the anti-graft agency, alleging that Mr. Ahmed misappropriated $5 million for the payment of his children’s school fees. The ICPC had consequently invited Mr. Dangote in December to formally adopt the petition as required by law.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commission confirmed the petition’s withdrawal. It noted receipt of a formal letter dated January 5, 2025, from Dr. O.J. Onoja, SAN, the legal counsel to Aliko Dangote. The letter, titled “Notice of Withdrawal of Petition against Engineer Farouk Ahmed,” stated that the petitioner was withdrawing the complaint in its entirety and indicated that another law enforcement agency had taken over the matter.

The ICPC, in its response, asserted its statutory authority to continue the probe. Citing sections 3(14) and 27(3) of its enabling Act, the Commission stated that investigations had already commenced in the public interest.

“The ICPC will therefore continue to investigate this matter in line with its statutory mandate and in the interest of transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption for the benefit of Nigeria,” the statement concluded.

The Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, has clarified that the Kano League of Veteran Journalists (KALVEJ) is an independent professional body and not an appendage of the State Ministry of Information.

Speaking during the ratification and adoption of the League’s Charter, which has now become its Constitution, the Commissioner explained that although the Ministry supports and relates with the League, such engagement is strictly on a professional basis.

He emphasized the importance of preserving the independence of professional bodies to enable them operate effectively and in line with global best practices, noting that the Ministry maintains similar professional relationships with bodies such as the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and other related professional organizations.

The Constitution was ratified and adopted at the Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, during a session attended by members of the League drawn from various segments of the journalism profession, including academics.

The session featured extensive discussions, comments, observations, and detailed scrutiny of the draft document by members. Key observations raised included the absence of clear provisions on members’ welfare, gender representation, and sustainable funding mechanisms for the League.

Following exhaustive deliberations, members resolved that all issues raised during the session be forwarded to the Constitution Drafting Committee and Secretariat for further consideration and necessary amendments.

At the end of the session, a motion was moved and unanimously adopted mandating the Constitution Drafting Committee to continue managing the affairs of the League for a period of one year, pending the conduct of elections for substantive executives.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Ahmed Aminu, expressed gratitude to members for the confidence reposed in the committee. He assured the gathering that all concerns raised, particularly those relating to the welfare of members, would be adequately addressed in the revised Constitution.

Signed
Sani Abba Yola
Director, Special Duties
Kano State Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs
7th January, 2026