Governor Nyesom Wike

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has sacked his Senior Special Assistant on Protocol, Sir Joe Akpa.

A statement by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media said that the governor wished Sir Akpa well in his future endeavours.

No reasons was given for the sack of  Akpa.

Akpa was the Director and head of Secretariat of the defunct 40-member  Rivers State Economic Advisor Council that was headed by  Emeritus Prof Nimi Dimkpa Briggs, a former Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, appointed by the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi in 2007.

Akpa who hails from Andoni Local Government area of the state had also served three former Military Administrators of Rivers – Air Comdr. Sam Ewang , Col. Godwin Abbe and Col. Anthony Ukpo as Director of Protocol.

Governor Wike appointed him as his Senior Special Assistant on Protocol on assumption of office in 2015.

In a related development, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Dr (Mrs) Ipalibo Banigo has sacked her Press Secretary,  Paul Damgbo.

Damgbo was a  staff of Rivers State Television, RSTV before his appointment as media aide to Banigo.

No reason was given for sack of  Damgbo who  has been redeployed to the Ministry of Commerce as Press Officer.

The Deputy Governor has had three press secretaries since assumption of office, with each one lasting barely six months.