Commissioner for Environment was sacked because he overstepped – Governor Wike

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has explained why he fired the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Igbiks Tamuno.

Dr Tamuno was relieved of his duty post on Tuesday. The commissioner was said to be addressing the media on the soot and sundry environmental challenges ravaging the state when the news of his sack hit him.

Speaking to journalists at a project commissioning on Wednesday, Wike said he sacked the Commissioner because he overstepped his boundaries.

He said the Commissioner wrote to Julius Berger to stop construction work without his approval.

“I don’t know how a commissioner can write to a company to stop work without my approval. And Julius Berger for that matter, to stop construction in the entire State. I have never heard of such thing before. I didn’t know that commissioners have so much power like that.

“I’m saying it because some of you don’t even know the limit of your power. These are contractors working for the state government. He (Tamuno) never interfaced with the Ministry of Works. We have paid Julius Berger and you ask them to stop work, so that they will come and ask for variation later?” he said.

The Governor said the signing of the contracts for the Trans -Kalabari Road project phase one, and the Saakpenwa-Bori -Kono Road project phase two is to demonstrate the importance his administration places on opening up more rural communities for development.