Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State on Sunday assured commissioners and permanent secretaries in his administration of a conducive working environment.

Fubara said his cabinet members can function optimally without tension or health conditions like high blood pressure.

He spoke at a special thanksgiving service organised in honour of Dr Tammy Wenike Danagogo, Rivers’ Secretary to the State Government SSG, in Abonnema Town, Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.

In a statement by Nelson Chukwudi, his Chief Press Secretary, Governor Fubara said a good administrator does not pressure his team into performance.

“I want to say that this administration that I am leading will stand by you. You don’t need to worry about the BP drugs anymore because I don’t intend to give anyone BP. There is no commissioner here that has BP. Before, you people used to have BP, but now, there is no BP. There is no permanent secretary who was always lying in the hospital and is still lying in the hospital now because there is no BP,” he said.

This comes amid the governor’s intense face-off with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

The tension between Fubara and Wike had affected some local government chairmen in the state.

The chairmen loyal to Wike had refused to leave office after the expiration of their tenure.

In April, the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment Bill into law despite Fubara’s refusal to give his assent.

The amendment empowered the lawmakers to extend the tenure of elected chairpersons of LGAs and councillors where it is considered impracticable to hold elections before the expiration of their three-year term in office.

Despite declining to assent to the bill, the assembly vetoed his decision.

However, a court judgement nullified the amendment of the local government law.

After much back-and-forth, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission conducted the local government election.

The Action Peoples Party won 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, while the Action Alliance won one seat.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Joe Igbokwe, on Sunday informed the relevant authorities that Nigerians are still mutilating the naira notes.

Igbokwe said Nigerians are still throwing naira notes on the ground and still working on it at parties, burial, and naming ceremonies.

Posting on his Facebook page, Igbokwe wondered if the ban on naira abuse has been lifted.

He wrote: “Let me remind the Authorities concerned that Nigerians are still throwing Naira notes on ground and still walking on it at parties, burial, naming ceremonies etc. Have we lifted the ban? So that you know.”

As part of efforts to disabuse naira mutilation, some Nigerian celebrities were made to face the wrath of the law.

Popular crossdresser, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky was handed a six months jail term.

Also, a socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chief Priest, was arraigned for naira abuse.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.

An actress, Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for spraying and stepping on naira notes.

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic will stop being members of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, from 2025.

President of ECOWAS commission, Alieu Touray, made the announcement on Sunday during the 66th ordinary session of heads of states and governments in Abuja.

It was reported that the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate withdrawal from the ECOWAS in January this year.

Prior to the withdrawal, the trio were suspended from ECOWAS, with Niger and Mali facing heavy sanctions.

However, Touray said ECOWAS has now set the countries’ exit at January 29, 2025 – July 29, 2025.

The ECOWAS president said the timeframe would allow for last mediations and any diplomatic interventions.

The development comes after the military-led governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their decision to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, describing the move as “irreversible.”

The three countries, in a joint statement, accused ECOWAS of serving the interests of France, their former colonial power and pledged to chart a new path for their citizens.

The announcement precedes a key ECOWAS summit scheduled for Sunday, where regional leaders had hoped to negotiate a resolution to retain the three nations within the bloc.