A FORMER Attorney General, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), who was deployed to the Ministry of Special Duties by Gov. Siminalayi Fubara on Tuesday, has again resigned from the Rivers State Cabinet.
In a letter to the Secretary of the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday, Adangor rejected the deployment and resigned from the Rivers Executive Council, with effect from April 24, 2024.
Prof. Adango said he chose to leave the government to preserve his reputation.
He accused Governor Fubara of interfering with his duties as the Attorney General, alleging that the governor had directed him not to defend or oppose suits filed against the Attorney-General and the Government of Rivers State by individuals sponsored by the state government.
In his words, “The Governor of Rivers State had in the past couple of weeks willfully interfered with the performance of my duties as the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.
“I wish to state for the record, that I am no longer willing to continue to serve in the administration of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, GSSRS, Governor of Rivers State, in any capacity whatsoever.
“It is important to mention that the Governor of Rivers State had in the past couple of weeks willfully interfered with the performance of my duties as the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State by directing me not to defend, oppose, or appear in suits insinuated against the Honourable Attorney-General and the Government of Rivers State by persons admittedly hired and sponsored by the Government of Rivers State,” the statement read in part.
While reshuffling his cabinet, the governor had approved that the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice be moved to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office).
A circular from the office of the Secretary to the State Government titled ‘Cabinet Reshufflement’ and signed by Danagogo also said that the Commissioner for Finance should now be reposted to Barr. Isaac Kamalu, Ministry of Employment Generation and Economic Empowerment.
The duo are among the core loyalists of the Minister of FCT, Wike, and had resigned their offices last December, but were later restored to their positions following a peace agreement reached in Abuja.
It read: “His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara,
GSSRS, has approved a minor cabinet reshufflement thus: Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor SAN, DSSRS, the former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is now deployed to the MINISTRY OF SPECIAL DUTIES (GOVERNOR’S OFFICE)
“Barr. Isaac Kamalu, DSSRS, the former Commissioner for Finance, is now deployed to the MINISTRY OF EMPLOYMENT GENERATION AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT.
“They are to hand-over to their respective Permanent Secretaries immediately as this deployment/reshufflement takes immediate effect. All hand-over processes must be completed immediately.”
This is coming in the face of the unending political crises raging in the state between the governor and his predecessor, now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.