The Government of Rivers State consists of elected representatives and appointed officials responsible for the government of Rivers State, Nigeria. Rivers State has a population of about 5 million people, and is one of the 36 states that make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The state government is composed of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, whose powers are vested by the Constitution in the House of Assembly, the Governor and the High Court. The judiciary operates independently of the executive and the legislature. At the local level, elected officials are in charge of

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

Executive

The executive branch is headed by the Governor, assisted by the Deputy Governor, both elected. The governor appoints the heads of parastatals, state-owned bodies, judicial officers, permanent secretaries and members of the

Executive Council Executive Council may refer to: Government * Executive Council (Commonwealth countries), a constitutional organ that exercises executive power and advises the governor * Executive Council of Bern, the government of the Swiss canton of Bern * Ex ...

with the exception of the deputy. The

Civil Service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

is administered by the head of service, a career civil servant, with each ministry managed by a permanent secretary. The commissioner is responsible for policy, while the permanent secretary provides continuity and is responsible for operations.

Governor

As the highest ranking-official in the executive, the Governor of Rivers State wields significant influence in matters relating to the governance of the state. As in most

presidential system A presidential system, or single executive system, is a form of government in which a head of government, typically with the title of president, leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch in systems that use separati ...

s, the governor is both the head of government and head of state. The governor is empowered by the Constitution to preside over the

, as well as to appoint, dismiss or reappoint its members–excluding the deputy governor–at will. In addition the governor may sign legislation passed by the

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

into law or may veto it, however, the bill automatically becomes law after 30 days if the governor does not sign the legislation. A vote by a two-thirds majority in the House can overrule the governor. The same vote is required to initiate an impeachment process of the governor or the deputy governor. When the chief executive is unable to discharge their duties, the deputy governor assumes the office of Acting Governor until the governor resumes duty, or until election of a new governor. Since achieving statehood, Rivers State has had a total of 6 governors. Four of the former governors are still alive while only one has died. The longest serving governor is

Peter Odili Peter Otunuya Odili (born 15 August 1948) was the third Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. Odili is a member of the former ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). Background Peter Odili was born on 15 August 19 ...

, a physician by profession. He spent 2,923 days in office.

Deputy Governor

The position of Deputy Governor of Rivers State constitutes the vice-head of state and government, created when the federation returned to

civilian authority Civil authority or civil government is the practical implementation of a State (polity), state on behalf of its citizens, other than through military units (martial law), that enforces law and order (politics), law and order and that is distingui ...

under the Second Republic. Whoever holds the post is considered the second highest official in the executive branch. The deputy governor is also seen as the first official in line to succeed the Governor of Rivers State, should that office be vacated. The deputy governor is elected concurrently on a ticket with the governor for a term of four years renewable once. The annual salary for the office as of 2009 is ₦2,112,215. Physician Ipalibo Banigo is the first woman to hold the position since it was established. Banigo, formerly a

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

in the

Ministry of Health Ministry of Health may refer to: Note: Italics indicate now-defunct ministries. * Ministry of Health (Argentina) * Ministry of Health (Armenia) * Australia: ** Ministry of Health (New South Wales) * Ministry of Health (The Bahamas) * Ministry of ...

, was chosen by governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike to be his running mate in the 2015 election.

Executive council

The executive council is currently made up of:

Ministries

Agencies and Parastatals

Agencies and parastatals, typically reporting to a ministry, include: * Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Agency * Road Traffic Management Authority * Rivers State University of Science and Technology * Rivers State Television Authority *

Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency The Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (abbreviated as RSSDA) is an agency of the government of Rivers State set up under the Sustainable Development Agency Law No. 3 of 2007. It is an agency dedicated to promoting programmes and activities ...

Rivers State Polytechnic Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic (formerly Rivers State Polytechnic) is a tertiary learning institution in Bori City, Khana Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. It has two campuses, one for the School of Management Sciences and the ot ...

Rivers State Newspaper Corporation A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

Rivers State Microfinance Agency The Rivers State Microfinance Agency, locally referred by its abbreviation RIMA, is a government body providing a range of services including financial, business and social support to institutions such as microfinance banks and entrepreneurs who la ...

Housing and Property Development Authority The Rivers State Housing and Property Development Authority (RSHPDA) is a government agency that has the task of preservation and delivery of affordable housing in Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta reg ...

Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology (RIVCOHSMAT) is a public higher education institution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. It was established under the College of Health Science and Technology Law (2001). It ...

* Rivers State College of Arts and Science *

Rivers State University of Education A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wat ...

* Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation * Rivers State Agricultural Development Programme * Universal Basic Education Board * Senior Secondary Schools Board * Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board *

Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the ve ...

* Local Government Service Commission *

Rivers State Waste Management Authority The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) is a government of Rivers State body responsible for the enhancement of the environment with the aim of achieving positive and substantial change in living conditions as well as reducing diseases or ...

Legislature

The Rivers State House of Assembly is the unicameral

legislative body A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as p ...

of the state government. It was established in 1979 by part II, section 84 of the Constitution of Nigeria, which states "There shall be a House of Assembly for each of the States of the Federation". Led by a Speaker, the House of Assembly consists of 32 members, each elected to four-year terms in single-member constituencies by

plurality Plurality may refer to: Voting * Plurality (voting), or relative majority, when a given candidate receives more votes than any other but still fewer than half of the total ** Plurality voting, system in which each voter votes for one candidate and ...

. Its primary responsibility is to create laws for the peace, order and effective government of the state.

Powers

There are numerous powers the Constitution expressly and specifically granted to the House of Assembly as they are necessary for its relevance. These include the powers to approve budget estimates presented to it by the executive; to make laws establishing the chargeable rates and the procedure to be used in assessing and collecting the rates charged by each local government council; confirm gubernatorial appointments, oversee and monitor activities of government agencies, review policy implementation strategies of the executive, summon before it and question a commissioner about the conduct of his or her ministry especially when the affairs of that ministry are under consideration and to initiate impeachment proceeding in order to secure the removal of the governor or the deputy.

Current Representatives

The legislature consists of elected representatives from each constituency. As of June 12, 2015 they were:

Judiciary

The administration of justice in Rivers State is one of the fundamental duties of the judiciary of the state. This branch of government explains and applies the laws by hearing and eventually making decisions on various legal cases. It has a regulatory or supervisory body known as the Judicial Service Commission, which takes care of appointment, promotion and disciplinary issues of the judiciary. The Chief Judge of Rivers State is the appointed head of the judicial branch. The chief judge is also the most senior judge and presiding member of the High Court of Justice. Among other responsibilities, the chief judge has the ceremonial duty of administering the

oath of office An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such ...

of the Governor of Rivers State. In modern tradition, the chief judge retires voluntarily at sixty years of age, or statutorily at sixty five. Most appointments to the judiciary are made by the governor, but acting upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council. At present, there are about 10 judicial divisions within the High Court of Justice, and about 26 judges carrying out their professional work.

Elections and voting

Local government

Local government areas handle local administration, under an elected chairman. Rivers State is divided into twenty-three local government areas (LGAs):

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rivers State Government Rivers State