The crisis in Rivers State on Tuesday worsened over the three- year tenure of 23 local government chairmen as protesting youths loyal to the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, displaced no fewer than three chairmen who refused to leave their offices. as local Government chairmen
A policeman was killed at Eberi-Omuma in the Omuma Local Government Council secretariat during a clash between supporters of Fubara and his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
To prevent a breakdown of law and order, the police on Tuesday evening announced the takeover of the 23 council secretariats.
The three-year tenure of the 23 chairmen expired on Monday but they had vowed to remain in office, citing the Local Government Amendment Law 2024 made by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
The law by the 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike, empowers them to remain in office for six months due to the failure of Fubara to conduct local government elections.
One of the council heads and Secretary of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, Obarimate Ollor, Ollor, had alleged, while addressing stakeholders at the first Annual General Meeting of the Aleto Clan Association in Port Harcourt last Thursday, that there were plans to invade the council on Monday (17\06\2024).
On Monday, youths occupied the secretariats of three local governments of the Kalabari-speaking areas, namely, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru and Degema and vowed not to allow the chairmen access because their tenure had expired.
This came as Fubara, in a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, directed the heads of local government administrations to take charge of council affairs from Wednesday, (today) pending further directives.
Protesting angry youths in Rivers state
But the crisis escalated later on Tuesday at the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area Council, when the state ALGON Chairman Allwell Ihunda, escaped death narrowly when scores of protesting Ijaw youths chased him in front of the council while trying to make his way into the facility situated between Bank Road and Moscow Road.
Ihunda, who is the outgoing Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, was on his way to the council secretariat with some aides and security details when the youths barricaded his way, saying they were enforcing the order of the governor, who had directed heads of local government administrations to take charge of the 23 LGAs
As he tried to have his way, the youths started shouting, chasing him and attempting to get hold of Ihunda who raced towards his car, but the security details attached to the Mayor, as he is fondly called, resisted the youths from reaching the chairman Ihunda Allwell (PDP) and consequently shot sporadically into the air to disperse them.
Ihunda raced into his waiting SUV vehicle escorted by aides and zoomed off in his convoy, while the youths chased and rained curses at him, some of the youths were heard shouting with a voice of mockery and pelted stones at his vehicle, saying, “That is him, Allwell. Chase him. Who is he? Look at him, Mayor is running. Chase him. Don’t run, come you will see pressure. We are not afraid of you’’.
Subsequently, a team of policemen arrived at the scene, firing gunshots into the air as well as teargas canisters in an attempt to disperse the protesters who included members of the Ijaw Youths Council, even as they challenged the operatives saying they were there on a peaceful protest.
One of the protesters, who refused to mention his name for fear of being identified, said they were at the secretariat to carry out a peaceful demonstration against the chairman Ihunda Allwell (PDP) , whom they claimed had vowed not to vacate office despite the expiration of his tenure on Monday.
He, however, alleged that policemen started shooting live bullets and teargas canisters in their direction as soon as they sighted the youths, even as they approached journalists to lodge their complaint.
He stated, “The tenures of the LG chairmen have elapsed and we came here as law abiding citizens of Rivers State backing with the constitution of river state local government three-year tenure . We stand here as Ijaw youths for peace and tranquillity. But the police are shooting at us. We are here for the governor of Rivers State. We are not here to make trouble.”
One of the youth leaders identified as Ichemanti alleged that one of the protesting youths was shot at by the police, even as the deafening sound of gunshots rented the air.
Soon after the situation calmed, the protesters mounted several canopies in front of the council as the policemen watched them dancing, singing, dancing with the IYC flags and displaying placards showing like-mindedness for Fubara.
In the Eleme LGA, the state ALGON secretary and outgoing chairman Obarlomate Ollor (PDP) was said to have gone to the council with some of his aides and supporters but pro-Fubara supporters mobilised themselves and chased him out of the facility after a heated argument between them and his supporters.
In Obio/Akpor, the LGA of the FCT minister Nyesom Wike (PDP), hundreds of youths occupied the secretariat in Rumuodomaya early on Tuesday morning but the council chairman, George Ariolu was nowhere to be found.
The angry youths pulled down a gigantic billboard of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike inside the council and smashed the windscreen of one of the vehicles of the outgoing LG chairman, even as they remained in the secretariat.
In the Emuoha LGA, the planned distribution of farm implements to farmers in the 14 wards of the area by the outgoing Chairman, Dr Chidi Lloyd, was stalled as the youths also occupied the secretariat.
Along are the new sworn in new caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of the state The swearing-in was done on Wednesday (12\06\2024) at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital with tight security.
Here are the names of the nominated caretaker chairmen below:
Abua/Odua LGA – Madigai Dickson
Ahoada East LGA – Happy Benneth
Ahoada West LGA – Mr. Daddy John Green
Akuku Toru LGa – Otonye Briggs
Andoni LGA – Reginald Ekaan
Asari Toru LGA – Orolosoma Amachree
Bonny LGA – Alabota Anengi Barasua
Degema LGA – Anthony Soberekon
Eleme LGA – Brain Gokpa
Emouha LGA – David Omereji
Etche LGA – John Otamiri
Gokana LGA – Kenneth Kpeden
Ikwerre LGA – Darlington Orji
Khana LGA – Marvin Yobana
Opobo/Nkoro LGA – Enyiada Cookey-Gam
Oyigbo LGA – – Gogo Philip
Port Harcourt LGA – Ichemati Ezebunwo
Tai LGA – Matthew Dike
The development adds another plot twist to the political crisis in the state months after the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment Bill into law.
While Fubara did not assent to the bill, the lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule vetoed him.
The law empowered the Rivers State Assembly to extend the tenure of council chairpersons, their vice, and councillors where it is deemed impossible to hold elections before the end of their three-year tenure.
But a court nullified the amended law, prompting an appeal. The appeal court is set to deliver a ruling on the matter on June 20, 2024.
LG council
Our correspondent reports that Fubara’s CoS and former factional speaker, Dr Edison Ehie, was spotted inside the Obio/Akpor local government council secretariat exchanging pleasantries with the state Chairman of the National Youths Council of Nigeria, Chijioke Ihunwo, even as he was later spotted at his LG, Ahoada East local government secretariat.
Aside from Governor Fubara’s LGA, Opobo and neighbouring Bonny LGA, there were noticeable tension in other local governments though no noticeable violence was recorded, especially in Andoni and Gokana where many said two council chairmen, Awortu Erastus and Confidence Deko, have performed creditably.
In Opobo and Bonny LGAs, the council bosses, Eyiada Cookey-Gam and Anengi Barasua, had since distanced themselves from their colleagues, as they both held separate thanksgiving preparatory to handover after their three-year tenure.
Later on Tuesday, Fubara convened a state security council meeting where he vowed to resist the arrest of his supporters whom he said are standing for the truth.
The governor however stated that he would audaciously led the way to ensure that peace continued to prevail in the state while also protecting all patriotic supporters for their stand on the path of truth.
Fubara made the vow while addressing newsmen, shortly after rising from a State Security Council meeting with heads of the security agencies at Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
The Governor he explained that the security council meeting was called because of the recent threat to the peace of the state by the chairmen.
He added, “You are all aware that the tenure of the council chairmen ended yesterday, 17th June 2024, and today, we have ordered the heads of local government administrations to be in charge while they await further directives.
“It’s really inappropriate that we started hearing some disturbing news from some LGAs of invasion of council secretariats, and it is really unfortunate. So, we have called the security council meeting so that the needful will be done.
“We are also aware that our enemy is also planning a lot of things. But we will not fall into that plot. We will not also allow him or them to destroy the peace that we are enjoying in the state,” he added.
The Governor thanked the media and the peace-loving people of the state for their support and urged everyone to continue to remain law-abiding for the unity and progress of the State
Police takeover
The statement reads, “Following the breakdown of law and order in the various Local Government Council secretariats in Rivers State where supporters of the two Political factions clashed over the tenure of Local Government Council Chairmen, a case of death was recorded at Eberi-Omuma, Omuma LGA, where a Police officer and a vigilante were killed.
To obviate more bloodshed and prevent a further breakdown of law and order, the Police have taken over all the 23 Council Secretariats and some critical government infrastructure in the state.
Conventional police officers and anti-riot police officers have been deployed to these facilities, while urging all groups and individuals to be law-abiding, the Command also warn anyone who intends to cause mayhem as we will not hesitate to impose the full weight of the law on them.
“We also wish to ask the law-abiding residents and visitors in the state to go about their lawful businesses without fear. We are resolved to carry out our constitutional duty of protecting lives and property.”
Meanwhile, some lawmakers in the House of Representatives under the aegis of G-60 on Tuesday rose from an emergency meeting in Abuja to demand the trial of 23 former local government chairmen loyal to Wike, for treason for forcefully trying to retain their seats after the constitutional expiration of their three years in office.
The group led the lawmaker representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere at a press conference held at the National Assembly Complex called on the Rivers State Government to immediately prepare treason charges against the local government chairmen and their sponsors over the committal of the alleged act.
In attendance at the press conference were Aliyu Mustapha (PDP, Kaduna), Matthew Nwogu (LP, Imo) and Midaila Usman(PDP, Borno).
sources: punch newspaper
vanguard newspaper
