‘Ability To Manage People Is Lacking In Fubara’ – Ibadan NBA Chairman

The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, Ibrahim Lawal, has called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara to reconsider his actions, accusing the governor of committing multiple infractions and failing to effectively manage relationships within the state.

In an interview with The Guardian in Ibadan, Lawal expressed his concerns over the governor’s style of governance, particularly his handling of the Rivers State House of Assembly and its leadership.

The NBA Chairman lamented the governor’s decision to demolish the House of Assembly complex, describing it as a reflection of Fubara’s high-handedness and the negative impact it has had on the state’s governance.

Naijaonpoint reports that Lawal emphasized the need for the governor to change course, citing the Supreme Court’s description of Fubara’s leadership as a contributing factor to the collapse of governance in Rivers State.

“The Supreme Court said that as far as they are concerned, governance had collapsed in Rivers State because of the high-handedness of the governor,” Lawal noted, underlining the serious implications of Fubara’s actions.

According to Lawal, the governor’s decision to engage in conflict with the state legislature, which he described as the symbol of any democratic government, was unjustifiable.

“What is the basis for fighting the legislature in the first place? Why did he have to fight the lawmakers?” he asked. “The governor engaged in unnecessary fights to the extent that you have to destroy their chambers. It’s not fair.”

Lawal also questioned the governor’s strained relationship with his political mentor, noting that it was unusual for a sitting governor to engage in conflict with those who helped elevate him to power.

“How long have you been in government and politics would begin to fight those who helped you become governor?” Lawal wondered.

He further argued that Fubara’s inability to manage people and relationships was detrimental to the state’s governance. “We have seen governors who have managed people. So, the ability to manage people is lacking in Fubara,” he said.

Lawal concluded by reiterating his call for Governor Fubara to reassess his leadership approach, urging him to avoid further alienating key stakeholders and to focus on fostering unity for the benefit of Rivers State.