The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has appointed the immediate past Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Kenneth Kobani, as the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG).
Kobani, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Finance, who was in the cabinet of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for about three months, hails from Bodo-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area of the state and he is succeeding George Feyii, also an Ogoni.
Governor Wike also appointed an ex-Chairman of Emohua LGA of Rivers State, Emeka Woke, an engineer, as the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. He succeeds Chief Tony Okocha.
Wike was two-term Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State the same period Woke was at the helm of affairs in Emohua LGA, and both of them were known to be close friends.
The immediate-past governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, had shortly after his Supreme Court victory on October 25, 2007, appointed Wike as Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt. But with his appointment as a minister in 2011, Wike recommended Woke as his successor, but Amaechi, then the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), kicked against the choice and opted for Okocha.
Wike also appointed the publisher of a Port Harcourt-based tabloid, Hard Truth, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, as his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity.
Other persons appointed by Wike include Dr. A. J. Beredugo as Senior Special Assistant on Research and Documentation; Gilbert Nria and Imeh Fubara, as Senior Special Assistants, office of the Deputy Governor.