Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has dissolved the board of the State’s Microfinance Agency with immediate effect.
The governor, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday evening by the Head of Service, Dr. Inyingi Brown, also announced the appointment of Pastor Jonathan Tobin as the Acting Managing Director of the agency.
The statement read: *“The Rivers State Governor hereby announces the dissolution of the Board of the Rivers State Microfinance Agency and the immediate appointment of Pastor Jonathan Tobin as the Acting Managing Director of the Agency.
“Consequently, members of the defunct Board are by this notice advised to hand over all properties and assets of the Board in their possession to the Acting Managing Director of the Agency.
“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS, will in due course reconstitute the Board.”*
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara on Friday also swore in a new permanent secretary, Mr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, charging him to remain unwavering in professionalism, uphold the values of the civil service, and shun any act of illegality in the discharge of his responsibilities.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony at the Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to due process and integrity, stressing that the civil service must remain the backbone of good governance.
Reflecting on past challenges during the period of emergency rule, Fubara lamented that some permanent secretaries failed in their responsibility to safeguard due process and instead engaged in actions that undermined the principles of the service.
He warned that such conduct is unacceptable and that erring officials would ultimately be held accountable.
Governor Fubara praised Ezekiel-Hart for his professionalism and refusal to compromise his integrity despite pressures, noting that his steadfastness and principled stance earned him the new appointment.
