The ongoing political crisis in Rivers State has been laid bare by the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Alaye Tari Theophilus, who attributes the Rivers State House of Assembly members’ efforts to frustrate Governor Siminalayi Fubara to their denied “unrestricted access” to the state’s funds.
In a candid interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, monitored by Truth Live News on Friday, Theophilus accused the lawmakers of rejecting multiple peace initiatives because the governor has refused to allow them to treat the state treasury as a personal resource.
“The central issue in the recent Rivers crisis is Governor Fubara’s refusal to grant Assembly members unrestricted access to state funds,” Theophilus stated.
He continued: “They have rejected all peace initiatives proposed by the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, and others, insisting that the governor is too stingy and does not want them to benefit.”
The IYC leader explained that the council had engaged stakeholders and elders from the affected constituencies in attempts to mediate, but to no avail.
“Basically the youth council have taken a series of steps, including stakeholders, elders from those particular constituencies, to see how they can interface with these lawmakers in question,” he said.
Theophilus described a entrenched pattern in Nigerian politics where legislators increasingly act as “contractors” or “businessmen,” seeking direct allocations from the governor beyond legitimate constituency projects to sustain lavish lifestyles.
“But today, we have a very prudent and people-oriented governor, and he’s telling them that, look, if it is Rivers treasury that you want, I can’t give it to you. But if it is true good governance that you want, then we can work together,” Theophilus said.
He emphasized the core disagreement: “So that is where the bone of contention lies. They want the Rivers treasury to be open for them so that they can dive down to take whatever that they want to take, as other Assembly members, in other administrations have been doing.”
In contrast, he praised Fubara’s approach: “But today we have a project governor who has said that no, these funds in question are for Rivers people and is meant for infrastructural development, human capital, development and good governance.”
The revelations come amid heightened tensions in Rivers State, where the House of Assembly recently initiated impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara and his deputy over allegations including budgetary impropriety and failure to present the 2026 appropriation bill. However, the state’s Chief Judge has declined to constitute an investigative panel, citing subsisting court orders and other legal constraints.
The IYC, representing a significant voice in the Niger Delta region, has consistently backed Fubara, including a recent endorsement for his second term in 2027, framing the dispute as a clash between prudent governance and entrenched entitlement.
