CurrentReport Blog Rivers State, Nigeria – Amidst a wave of resignations within the Rivers State Executive Council, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, has firmly denied allegations of a toxic working environment under Governor Sim Fubara’s leadership. Johnson emphasized that the governor provides his appointees with considerable freedom to operate.
On Wednesday, five commissioners announced their resignation from the Rivers State Executive Council, citing a toxic work environment as their primary reason. This follows the earlier resignation of two commissioners after Governor Fubara reshuffled the cabinet.
The resignations are occurring against the backdrop of a political supremacy battle between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
In response to these developments, Johnson issued a statement underscoring the normalcy of such occurrences in a dynamic political environment. He stated, “It is common. That is the kind of thing you find in a healthy environment. People have the right to be appointed, sacked, or they resign. So, it is not anything new. It didn’t start today.”
Johnson dismissed the notion of a toxic environment, attributing the resignations to personal decisions rather than systemic issues within the administration. “Those who resigned have made up their minds and you can’t stop them. They are just trying to look for the clause to clutch. There was nothing to talk about toxic or no toxic. We all operate in the same atmosphere. The governor allowed us the liberty to operate and we’re enjoying his liberal nature,” he said.
