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The Government of Rivers State consists of elected representatives and appointed officials responsible for the government of Rivers State, Nigeria. Rivers State has a population of about 5 million people, and is one of the 36 states that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The state government is composed of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, whose powers are vested by the Constitution in the House of Assembly, the Governor and the High Court. The judiciary operates independently of the executive and the legislature. At the local level, elected officials are in charge of local government areas.
The governor of Rivers State is the chief executive of the Rivers State government and is one of the governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria. The governor is supported by the deputy governor, both popularly elected for a term of four years. The governor, as head of the executive branch, has the power to appoint commissioners responsible for each of the state's ministries, the heads of parastatals, judicial officers and the state-owned bodies with specific regulatory or administrative duties. They cannot be a member of the state House of Assembly.
Ipalibo Gogo Banigo is a Nigerian medical doctor and politician who is the current senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District since 2023. She served as the first female deputy governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023.
The Politics of Rivers State function within the framework of a presidential republic, with the Governor of Rivers State as both head of state and head of government. Rivers State is known for a politically engaged citizenry. The official seat of government is in Port Harcourt. Under the Constitution, Executive power is vested in the Governor. This does not change the fact that such authority may also be exercised through the Deputy Governor or Commissioners. Legislative power is vested in a 32-member unicameral House of Assembly. Judicial power is exercised solely by the judiciary of Rivers State.
The Executive Council, also known as the Governor's Cabinet is the highest administrative decision-making authority in Rivers State. It is part of the executive branch which is the most influential branch of the state government. It comprises the governor, deputy governor, Secretary to the State Government, chief of staff, commissioners and special advisers. All of its members excluding the Deputy Governor are appointed by the Governor of Rivers State and confirmed by the House of the Assembly of the state.
Emmanuel Ihuoma Okah, commonly known as Emma Okah, is a lawyer and politician in Rivers State. A member of the People's Democratic Party, he served as Chief Press Secretary under Governor Odili, and was also Commissioner of Information under Omehia's government. He has chaired the Media and Publicity Committee of the Rivers State People's Democratic Party Campaign Organisation. After the PDP took over, Governor Ezenwo Wike appointed him to his cabinet. He was confirmed by the House on 5 June 2015 was sworn-in as Housing Commissioner on 12 June 2015.
Fred Barivure Kpakol is an accountant and politician. He served as Rivers State Finance Commissioner between 2015 and 2019.He also served as the Commissioner for Agriculture between 2019 and 2022. He is a native of B-Dere in Gokana. He studied accounting and finance at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and graduated with a B.Sc. in Accounting and Finance. He went further to do his master's degree in Banking and Finance at Federal University of Technology Owerri and he later had his Ph.D. degree in Banking,Finance and Taxation from Rivers State University of Science and Technology. Kpakol is affiliated with the People's Democratic Party and has served as Chairman of Gokana local government area. He is also a former Secretary of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria Rivers State Branch.
The following is a timeline of the governorship of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, also known as the Wike administration, from his inauguration as Governor of Rivers State on 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023.
The First Wike Executive Council was the Executive Council of Rivers State between 5 June 2015 and 24 June 2017. It was led by Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike with Ipalibo Banigo as Vice-Chairman. The first set of appointments to the cabinet were made on 5 June 2015. The designees included Kenneth Kobani, Chukwuemeka Woke, Emmanuel C. Aguma, Fred Kpakol, Onimim Jacks, Emmanuel Okah and Opunabo Inko-Tariah. Governor Wike appointed Desmond Akawor, Ambassador to South Korea, to serve as Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority.
Onimim Ernestina Jacks is a lawyer serving since June 2015 as the Rivers State Commissioner of Agriculture in Nigeria. She is a member of the Rivers State People's Democratic Party.
The Government House, also known as Brick House or Governor's House, is located at Old GRA, Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the official residence of the Rivers State chief executive, the head of government, and the home to the governors of Rivers State and their families. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many high-level government conferences, receptions, and functions hosted by the occupant.
Bathuel Harrison Iheanyichukwu is a civil engineer and architect, who serves as the current Rivers State Commissioner of Works. He was appointed to this position by Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, confirmed by the Rivers State House of Assembly and sworn in on 9 May 2016. He replaces Kelvin Wachukwu, who was suspended indefinitely on 1 April 2016.
Kelvin Kinikanwo Wachukwu is a Nigerian engineer who served as Rivers State Commissioner of Works from December 2015 to April 2016. He was suspended indefinitely from office for negligence, dereliction of duty, particularly his failure to supervise projects effectively. He was replaced by Harrison B. Iheanyichukwu on 9 May 2016.
Felicity Okpete Ovai is an engineer and academic from Degema, Rivers State in Nigeria. A member of the Rivers State People's Democratic Party, she was the first woman to be appointed Commissioner of Works, serving from 2003 to 2006.
Princewill Ogbogbula is the current Commissioner of Youth Development in the Executive Council of Rivers State. He was appointed to the position in 2015 by Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.
Boma Iyaye is a Rivers State accountant, politician and a former Commissioner of Sports.
Deacon Akie Dagogo Theodore Fubara is a banker, businessman, politician and philanthropist from Opobo–Nkoro in Rivers State, Nigeria. A member of the Rivers State People's Democratic Party, he served as commissioner of transport in the First Wike Executive Council.
The second Wike Executive Council is the current Executive Council of Rivers State led by Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of the People's Democratic Party. It began to take shape following the House approval of Emmanuel C. Aguma as the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of the Rivers State government. It replaces the First Wike Executive Council which was dissolved on 24 June 2017. Among the commissioner-designees as of 8 August 2017 are seven former commissioners who served in the preceding Executive Council.
Tamunosisi Gogo Jaja is a Nigerian politician who represented Opobo–Nkoro in the Rivers State House of Assembly during the 4th, 5th and 6th Assembly. He also served as Majority Leader of the House for two tenures lasting a total of eight years. He was the All Progressives Grand Alliance nominee for Deputy Governor of Rivers State in 2011. He later switched political allegiance, joining the Rivers State People's Democratic Party. He is currently serving as Commissioner of Education in the second Wike Executive Council.
Princewill Anthony Chike is a Nigerian physician and professor of medicine. He was chairman of the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board. On 31 August 2017, he was sworn in as a member of second Wike Executive Council. He was chosen to head the Ministry of Health as Commissioner in September 2017.
References
- 1 2 "Mr. Mike Eleonu Anwuri". Riversstate.net.ng. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
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