…Youths Storm LGA Secretariats Ask Chairmen To Vacate Office
… I fear nothing – Fubara dares Wike, other
…Go home, your tenure has ended – Asari Dokubo tells Rivers LG chairmen
..We’re ready to do our job — Rivers Police
The crisis between the camps of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has shifted to the local government area.
Fubara and Wike fell out barely three months after the latter succeeded the former as Rivers governor.
The duo have been involved in heated exchanges but the situation has been calm for a while.
However, the tenure of Local Government chairmen has been a subject of controversy.
While the governor directed the chairmen who have the backing of Wike to vacate office by the expiration of their tenure on June 17, 2024, they have refused on the grounds that the pro-Wike faction of Rivers House of Assembly has extended their tenure.
The Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly had amended the law to enable LG chairmen extend their tenure by six months over the alleged failure of Fubara to conduct local government elections.
The State ALGON Chairman, Allwell Ihunda, who doubles as the Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, insisted that the law by the House of Assembly empowers them to remain in office.
But speaking at a recent event, Fubara warned the LG chairmen not to do anything that would truncate the peace of the state.
Meanwhile, Amaewhule, at a news briefing last week, warned the Governor against setting up caretaker committees to fill vacant positions in the 23 LGAs of the state, saying the lawmakers would not accept such a move.
The council chairmen who were elected during the tenure of Wike as Governor have been having a running battle with Governor Fubara as a result of the disagreement between the two political leaders.
On Monday, some youths stormed the secretariat in Degema Local Government Area and prevented movement in and out of the complex.
The youths who were seen singing war songs appeared battle ready as they insisted that they would not allow the LG chairman to remain in office after serving his tenure.
Singing in their local dialects, the youths chorused that the council chairman has failed, saying, “A failure must go’.
A similar scenario played out at Asari-Toru Local Government Area where hundreds of youths stormed the council headquarters and occupied the facility.
Many of the youths were seen in different groups in front of the secretariat and the entire stretch of the road leading to the entrance, even as some could be heard saying, ‘Asawana’ a popular slang among the Ijaws, which signify solidarity.
The youths, who dared the council chairman to come to the secretariat, vowed to remain there until work resumes on Wednesday.
But there was huge security presence at Port Harcourt City Local Government Area and Obio/Akpor LGAs.
Our correspondent sighted over six police patrol vans in front of the Secretariat on Monday morning.
The patrol vans were manned by fierce-looking security operatives, although movement was not restricted.
Meanwhile, the outgoing chairman of Eleme LGA, Obarilomate Ollor, has warned those eager to throw him out of office not to come close to the council, saying they would be resisted.
Ollor, while addressing stakeholders at the first Annual General Meeting of the Aleto Clan Association held in Port Harcourt, said he had got wind of plans to invade the council on June 17.
He urged those who do not have legitimate businesses at the council headquarters not to come close, pointing out that the LG council is neither a community town hall nor a students’ union facility.
Ollor stated, “Some people are ganging up, they want to use force to enter into the local government. Let me tell you, the local government is not a community town hall or students union secretariat.
“That is a government facility. So stay away from there except the law permits you to go there. If you go there against the law, what you will see you will not believe it. You will see your forefathers’ earlier than you expect. So don’t go there if you are not meant to go there. You can stay in a hotel and make noise, but don’t go there.”
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said men of the State police command were on a show of strength Monday morning.
In the meantime, unconfirmed reports have it that Fubara has sent a list of 7-member caretaker Committee to Oko Jumbo-led House of Assembly for screening.
Go home, your tenure has ended – Asari Dokubo tells Rivers LG chairmen
The leader of Niger Delta Volunteer Force, Muhajid Asari Dokubo, has urged the former chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas in Rivers State to accept the end of their three years’ tenure in good faith and go home.
Dokubo, who spoke on the sideline of the 2024 Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, in Port Harcourt, Monday, said tenure elongation for the Rivers LG chairmen is an aberration to the Constitution of Nigeria.
He stated that the chairmen, whose tenure expired on 17th June, cannot force themselves on the people on the guise of extension of time, noting that it runs contrary to the oath of office they swore to.
Dokubo warned the former chairmen not to invite the wrath of, what he called, the “people’s power”, because it will descend on them to their dismay.
He said: “Local Government tenure has expired today (17th June, 2024). They should quietly go home. If they want to seek re-election in accordance with the Constitution, they should go and seek re-election.
“But there is no tenure elongation in the Constitution. Their position is tenure-bound, and that tenure has expired. Let them not cause unnecessary problem for the people of the State. And I want to advise young people, that: look, don’t allow yourselves to be used.”
He said young people on the state must know and understand what their roles are in protecting the State against those self-seeking individuals who think that it is their private estate.
He said: “Only one man can be governor of Rivers State at a time. We would not have two governors at a time. The people of Rivers State are bigger than Muhajid Asari Dokubo. Rivers State is bigger than any individual. No individual can take Rivers State people for a ride and pocket us. It is not possible.
“Most of us (them), their children are not here, and their children have never come out to stand in front of any protest. They’re not like Mandela and his children or me and my children or any other body. A lot of people, they have not done this. So, nobody should be allowed to be used.”
“The people are showing people’s power. The people have gone on their own to take over local government secretariat because it is about the people, and nobody can say that we voted for three years’ tenure for a chairman and the chairman should exceed one second of that tenure.
“So, the people of Rivers State are exercising their people’s power, and they are ready to take over until the government is ready to conduct a new election.
Rivers crisis: I fear nothing – Fubara dares Wike, others
Amid the political crisis in Rivers State, Governor Sim Fubara on Monday declared that he fears nothing because God is on his side.
Fubara said even though his detractors would gather and plan against him, such moves would end in futility.
The governor had been at loggerheads with his predecessor, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Fubara spoke during a Sallah solidarity visit by a delegation led by the Vice President General and Chairman, Association of South-South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, Alhaji Nasir Awhelebe Uhor, to the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said: “It is a difficult system but one with God is one with the majority. So, when you have God around, you need to fear nothing. They will plan, they will gather, but their gathering, at the end of the day, will be to your own glory.
“So, I can say boldly that God has been very faithful to us against the expectations of a lot of people. He’s been guiding us, holding us forth, and we can boldly beat our chest to say: so far, we have shown that we are a responsible government.
“We have shown that we mean well for Rivers people. We have shown that this is not just a government that merely wants to control: it is a government resolved to give everybody opportunity, a government that allows you to feel free, and operate within the laws. That is the only way we can move from where we are to a higher pedestal.”
We’re ready to do our job — Rivers Police
Rivers State Police has said they are aware of the brewing crisis in the state over the tenure expiration of the local government area chairmen in the state.
The Police Command added that its men were ready to tackle any situation that might arise.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatunji Disu, declared his readiness to protect the lives and properties of the people of the state.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, Disu warned individuals against taking the law into their hands. He stressed that anyone found doing so would face the full wrath of the law.
Salient Times reported that there was tension across some of the 23 local government areas in Rivers state as the tenure of the council chairmen expires today, June 17, by midnight.
The tension was ignited by the decision of the LG chairmen in the state under the aegis of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria to remain in office citing the Local Government Amendment Law No 2 of the 2024 by the Martin Amaewhule-led 27 House of Assembly members extending their tenure by six months.
‘Parents, hold your children’
Reacting to the situation, Disu, the police boss, enjoined parents to caution their children against getting involved in the crisis.
The Police boss vowed that they would protect all government property and human life in the community and ensure a safe and secure environment for all throughout the period.
Disu said: “My job as a police policeman is to protect lives and properties. And that is what we have gone out to do since morning.
“We are aware of the crisis that has to do with the tenure of the Local Government Chairmen and we have gotten one court order or the other.
“And the Court of Appeal has given an order for everybody to exercise restraints till the 20th of this month — just three days.
“So we expect everybody to respect it and not take laws into their hands and allow peace to continue as it is.”
Disu promised that his officers were working around the clock to safeguard the property and lives of residents of the state.
He added that logistics and equipment for the job have been fully provided.
The CP said: “Sincerely, you know our officers have been out for the past three days. I just finished addressing them and I thank them for the good job they have done.
“They have been out since 4 a.m., and they just came back. We are not taking it lightly, we are ready to go. Our officers have been on a show of force and we have had additional men given to us from the Headquarters.
“This is just to assure members of the public that we are ready to do our jobs of protecting lives and properties.
“We have warned anybody who would want to take laws into their hands. I want to use this opportunity to talk to parents to call their children to order. Talk to them so that their children will not be used as cannon folds in this crisis.
“Everything that has to do with government property and every human being in this community would be protected,” the Rivers Police boss added