Gross Insubordination in Rivers State

The obduracy, contumacy and gross insubordination never contemplated of happened in Rivers State last Sunday when the video of a local government chairman in the state calling Governor Siminalayi Fubara a foolish man caused outrage on social media with many twitter users asserting it as the height of political foolery.

The local government chairman had while addressing a crowd of political partisans said: “Today, Fubara is a foolish governor, he is not a mumu governor, he is a foolish governor.”

The local government chairman who was not publicly identified according to information was at the centre of controversy in 2016 when he was reportedly publicly flogged by security men loyal to Rotimi Amaechi during the rerun elections in the state.

The post has led to extreme reactions with many agreeing with the local government chairman that Fubara is indeed a foolish governor on the ground that he had been laidback in his engagement with his political rivals, particularly, his predecessor and  FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

Others in their reactions, however, said that Fubara was being strategic in his approach to his battles with Wike and was only bidding his time in anticipation of the Supreme Court judgment on his election.

Since the video was made public, many have  described Fubara as a weak governor for tolerating the LG chairman’s effrontery and gross insubordination. They wondered why he has not summarily suspend him from office since sacking him will require the support of the members of the state House of Assembly who are Wike’s loyalists.

Before leaving office as governor, Wike imposed members of the state executive council, domestic and personal staff and the leadership of the local governments on Governor Fubara. This has led to serious disrespect of constituted authorities.

The political feud between Wike and the governor has made the insubordination of the officials worse. There is no where in Nigeria where a state official can disrespect a governor in this manner. Not even Wike as governor or FCT minister will tolerate this level of insubordination.

Though it is not known when Fubara would take up the gauntlet and be courageous enough to confront the crisis he is facing in the state, his supporters feel that after the Supreme Court judgment, he that pushes a king to the wall, sins against his own soul. For now, they are anxiously waiting.