According to the report from the Daily Post, Eze Ohna Sergeant Chidi Awuse, a prominent traditional ruler in Rivers State, has voiced his disappointment with Governor Siminialayi Fubara for removing him as Chairman of the Traditional Rulers’ Council while he was gravely ill.
The removal, which took place on June 21, 2024, was a decision that Eze Awuse claims came at a time when he was battling for his life in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Awuse was originally appointed as Chairman of the Rivers Traditional Rulers Council by former Governor Nyesom Wike, but was replaced by Fubara with the Paramount Ruler of Apara Kingdom, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo.
Governor Fubara justified the decision by alleging that Awuse’s leadership was unstable under the current administration. The monarch’s removal also came amid tensions between Fubara and Wike, who is currently serving as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), over the leadership structure in the state.
Speaking at his palace during a visit from Wike and his political associates, who came to celebrate his recovery from a debilitating illness, Eze Awuse expressed his anguish over the timing of his dismissal. He revealed, “I was sacked from my seat the day I was in ICU. I was in a coma for 10 hours. I told him only (Wike) because everybody rejected me.”
Awuse went on to describe the severity of his condition at the time, saying, “The government I was serving rejected me. I am learning how to stand up because I was in ICU for six weeks with gadgets all over my body, fed through my nose. And you (Fubara) told people when I was in ICU that I was a man of questionable character.”
In response to the governor’s accusations, Awuse firmly stated, “You said Sergeant Awuse, I am not steady. That is one quality I don’t deserve. Call me any other name but I am a steady human being.”
The removal of Eze Awuse, a figure deeply respected in Rivers State, has sparked discussions on the intersection of health and leadership, and whether his ousting was driven by political maneuvering amidst his health crisis….Vïêw–Môrê