Chairmanship tenure: Fubara directs LG Heads of administration to take over

Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, on Tuesday, directed the Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAS) to immediately take charge of their councils.

He said this followed the expiration of the tenure of the 23 local government chairmen on June, 17.

Fubara gave the directive in a statewide broadcast at Government House in Port Harcourt.

He commended the dedicated services of the outgoing elected local government chairmen and councillors whose tenure expired after three years of service.

The governor, on behalf of the state, thanked them for their commitment in serving the state.

Fubara congratulated them on the completion of their tenure and wished them well in their future endeavours.

The governor said that he would continue to provide leadership and direction to the people, to ensure that the constitution of the federal republic was upheld, and  law and order maintained.

“I hereby direct heads of local government administration to continue to provide leadership in their respective LGAs,”he said.

He directed the heads of LGAs to immediately take charge of the councils with renewed vigor and readiness to serve.

Fubara urged them to wait for other directives as the state navigated toward greater accomplishments.

He assured Rivers people that his administration would continue to provide infrastructure development, sound health care delivery,  quality education and undiluted welfare service packages to the people.

The issue of local government administration had created tension in Rivers state as a factional State Assembly extended their tenures but and an Appeal Court ruled that the extension was illegal.

Push-back

Meanwhile, the 23 local government chairmen, who are believed to be loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, have vowed to remain in office after June 17, citing a law enacted by 27 “pro-Wike lawmakers” extending their tenure by six months.

The state ALGON Chairman, Allwell Ihunda, has consistently insisted that the chairmen would not relinquish their positions, and dared Fubara to force them out.

He warned that any attempt to remove them from office would be resisted.

BRANDPOWER recalls that the pro-Wike legislators had amended the Local Government Law to extend the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors by six months, if elections were not conducted before the end of their term.

But the state High Court later barred the assemblymen from parading themselves as members of Rivers State House of Assembly after they defected from the PDP to the APC.

The court also nullified laws passed by the Martin Amaewhule-led factional assembly and declared their seats vacant after they openly defected to the opposition APC in December.

Subsequently, the 27 lawmakers took the matter to the Court of Appeal which would decide the fate of the embattled legislators and LG chairmen on June 20.

However, there was palpable fear on Monday as some angry youths reportedly stormed some of the LG council secretariates, calling for the ousting of the council chairmen.

The youths invaded Asari Toru, Akuku Toru, Degema and Andoni LGA offices, and locked the gates, insisting that the outgoing chairmen must vacate office.

In Degema, the protesters chanted war songs and appeared battle ready to stop the chairman from remaining in office after his tenure.

In Asri Toru LGA, hordes of youth took over the council’s headquarters, issuing threats against the chairman and challenging him to show up on Wednesday after the Eid-el Kabir holidays.

At Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor LGAs offices, heightened security presence deterred protesters with seven police patrol vans and armed personnel guarding the council offices to avert chaos.

Meanwhile, Mr Olatunji Disu, the Commissioner of Police in Rivers, has assured newsmen that steps had been taken to prevent breakdown of law and order.

He said that the police were aware of an attempted invasion of the council offices and had deployed personnel to forestall any chaos.

“We are aware of the crises and court orders, but we urge restraint till June 20 (when the Appeal Court will deliver judgment on the LG tussle).

“We expect everyone to await the decision of the court. No one should take the laws into his or her hands.

“We have deployed operatives to various strategic locations to uphold order and ensure public safety. So, we are performing our duties,” emphasised.

Disu warned against defying the law and advised parents to deter their children and wards from unlawful actions.