One of the first exercises carried out by the current Rivers Assembly was to invite RSIEC top officials for interrogation on why the election was conducted, with questions asked about where the Voters’ register was obtained since the state INEC denied releasing such to the body. Although Prof. Ahiazu provided answers to these questions, this was not enough to assuage the PDP lawmakers dominating the Assembly. The House immediately passed a resolution empowering Governor Wike to sack the RSIEC on June 9, and in less than 24 hours Wike heeded the call.

On the same day that Wike moved against RSIEC, the state Judicial Service was also sacked. It was accused of allowing itself to be manipulated by Wogu Boms, the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, to threaten judicial workers who, out intimidation, closed down the courts for about a year denying litigants and lawyers their rights to fair hearing.

Unlike other states that had transition committees that enhanced smooth interface with the incoming government, Amaechi didn’t set up any. The state Government through Mrs Ibim Semenitari had argued that the former Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, who dumped Amaechi and APC and defected to PDP on March 22, and was a member of Wike’s transition committee, could provide all the vital information the incoming government needed as he was the deputy chairman of the state executive council. Besides, the Amaechi administration argued that the Permanent secretaries and Directors of various parastatals and agencies were civil servants who could adequately provide vital information left in the handover notes of Commissioners. In some quarters this argumen, is said to have been put forward in bad fate with the intention of frustrating the easy take off of the new government.

Giving credence to Wike’s suspicion concfrning this was an alleged attempt by the immediate past administration to procure court injunctions to stop the swearing in of Wike and his deputy, Dr Ipalibo Harry. Wike and PDP alleged that Amaechi had approached a High Court in Awka, Anambra state, and other courts in Lagos, Enugu and Abuja but failed.

While the allegations were making the rounds, there was an obvious vacuum in the state judiciary that would have made the inauguration of Wike’s administration impossible and a probable constitutional crisis. However, due to the absence of a substantive Chief Judge of the state, Minister of Justice, Muhammad Adoke assigned the Bayelsa Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri to perform the oath-taking ceremony.

•Rotimi Amaechi: He and Wike were close, but now they are enemies

Before, and also after the swearing in, Wike raised the alarm that the former Governor denied him access to the ceremonial vehicles, like outrider power bikes for the Police. These were bought while some were also borrowed from Ondo state.

Also on assumption of office at the Government house, the new Executive governor raised the alarm that the past administration had looted funds. Prominent elders in the state, including former Governor Peter Odili, whose administration built and furnished the Government House through Julius Berger were taken round the allegedly vandalised parts of the seat of state, including the kitchen. The tour and allegations of looting of government house properties raked up so much controversy and became issues for talk show hosts on radio and television and newspapers commentaries. Commentators took positions. Is it possible for the past governor to have personally ordered or supervised the alleged vandalization of the government house and the removal of Bulletproof cars, mattresses, spoons and such items?

While the accusations and verbal attacks have been swinging back and forth between the Wike and Amaechi camps, the new Governor has dissolved the boards of all Government agencies and parastatals, including the Governing councils of all the tertiary institutions of the state. As expected, Wike has decided not to run those agencies with the members of the boards who were loyalists of the former governor.

Some of the agencies who were casualties of this move include; the Rivers State Transport Management Agency, TIMARIV, 344 staff and lecturers of Rivers state Polytechnic, and ten Waste Management contractors who were sacked for allegedly refusing to resume work despite being owed four months salaries by the previous administration. Wike has however promised not to sack the 13,200 primary and secondary school teachers employed by the Amaechi administration to teach in the schools built by his administration after declaring a state of emergency in the educational sector. Wike has also recalled the 70 lecturers allegedly sacked over unionism at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, concerning the reappointment of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof.Bareneme Fakae.

Another upside is that the Dorphins and Sharks football clubs owed about seven months salaries have been paid, while Governor Wike has also pledged to continue with projects started by his former boss as long as they serve the needs of Rivers people.

However the supporters of Amaechi are positing that the setting up of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe Amaechi is a witch-hunt and a premeditated attempt to demonise him so that he does not get a key appointment in the Muhammadu Buhari administration.