Former council chairpersons from 21 of the 23 LGAs in Rivers have led protests in their respective council areas.
Last week, Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, asked the
heads of local government administration to immediately assume control of the
23 council areas.
This followed the end of the three-year tenure of the
council chairpersons.
Despite the governor’s directive, some of the former LGA
chairpersons reportedly attempted to resume duties at the council secretariat,
but were chased away by youths.
The development heightened the political tension in Rivers
as residents protested at some of the LGA secretariats.
Police officers fired multiple shots to disperse protesters
at the various LGA headquarters.
The 23 LG secretariats have since been barricaded by the
police.
A STATE POLARISED
Rivers has been embroiled in political crisis since Fubara
fell out with Nyesom Wike, his predecessor.
On Monday, Onengiyeofori George, a former chairman and his
followers, marched through Buguma, the council headquarters of Asari-Toru LGA,
gyrating to songs praising Wike, minister of the federal capital territory
(FCT).
They held posters with inscriptions urging the police to
continue occupying the council headquarters.
Some of the inscriptions reads: ‘Sim Fubara Can’t Continue
to Act As He Likes’ and ‘There’s No Vacancy in Asari-Toru Council’.
The protest by the pro-Wike former LGA bosses is coming
despite an advisory against protests as issued by the Rivers police.
The Rivers police command had asked the Nigerian Union of
Local Government Employees (NULGE) to shelve the protest.
On Saturday, Clifford Paul, president of NULGE in Rivers,
had given Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, a four-day
ultimatum to order officers to vacate the 23 LG secretariats in the state.
Paul had said the police siege at the LG headquarters has prevented
NULGE members from accessing their offices.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, Grace Iringe-Koko,
police spokesperson in Rivers, said the command received intelligence of a
possible hijack of the protest.
“The police command
respects the right to lawful assembly but has received credible intelligence
indicating potential infiltration of the planned protest on Monday,” the
statement reads.
AMENDED LG BILL
In April, the Rivers assembly passed the local government amendment
bill into law despite Fubara’s refusal to give his assent.
The amendment empowers the lawmakers, via resolution, to
extend the tenure of elected chairpersons of LGAs and councillors, where it is
considered impracticable to hold elections before the expiration of their
three-year term in office.
The Rivers assembly said the amendment was to ensure that
LGA elections were conducted before the expiration of the administration.
Fubara declined assent to the bill, but the assembly vetoed
his decision.
However, a court judgment nullified the amendment to the
local government law.
The verdict was appealed, and the appellate court is yet to
deliver judgment on the matter.
The 27 house of assembly members had said they would resist
attempts by Fubara to install caretaker chairpersons in the LGAs.
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