Steady gunshots rented the air on Tuesday particularly within the headquarters of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area located along Moscow Road as youths and residents supporting Rivers Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, took over many councils’ headquarters.
The protesting youths seized the headquarters and occupied them to stop the local government chairmen and other elected officials contesting tenure elongation from returning to their offices.
Though their tenures expired on Monday, June 17, the local government chairmen and supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, had threatened to remain in office for six months citing a new section inserted in the local government amendment Law by the Speaker Martins Amaewhule-led lawmakers.
Though the State High Court expunged the controversial section, the chairmen insisted that the law remained valid because the lawmakers were still contesting it at the appeal court.
The Port Harcourt City LGA headquarters was hot on Tuesday morning as pro-Fubara youths, who stormed the area resisted attempts by heavily armed police squad to disperse them.
Police operatives reportedly fired steadily into the air to scare away the youths,.who had already mounted canopies and assembled plastic chairs to lay siege at the area.
One of the aggrieved youths, who spoke in confidence said they were at the secretariat to carry out a peaceful demonstration against the immediate past local government council chairmen, Allwell Ihunda.
He claimed that Ihunda had vowed not to vacate his office despite the expiration of his tenure on June 17th adding that such threat prompted them to mobilise to stop from coming back to the headquarters.
But he alleged that policemen tried to disperse them and in the process started shooting at their direction.
He said: “We are Ijaw youths and are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure have expired but refused to vacate their office.
“We are not here to make trouble. We are just on a peaceful demonstration, but surprisingly the police started shooting at us.”
One of the leaders of Port Harcourt City youths identified simply as Ichemanti claimed that one of the protesting youths was shot by the police.
But Rivers Police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was informed of reports of gunshots in the area but said it was not from the police.
Iringe-Koko said: “It is not the police that is shooting. Our men have been deployed already to identify and apprehend those disturbing the peace.
” As I speak to you now the Commissioner of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Police are on patrol. Policemen that have been deployed there and they are visible.
“We will ensure nobody takes the laws into their hands under our watch. The CP on Monday said the police are ready to do their job and that is what we are doing.”
In Obio-Akpor, Wike’s local government area, hundreds of the youths of the area led by Amb.Ihunwo Chijoke, an avowed Fubara’s supporter, took over the council’s Secretariat.
The youths were seen singing in solidarity as they beat their drums describing Ihunwo as a man of excess power and capacity.
One of the youths said: “We have taking over the council. Wike must obey Sim. We are here with Amb. Chijoke Ihunwo, to totally take over the council”.
At Eleme Local Government Area, youths marched in their numbers to seize their council’s Secretariat saying no to tenure elongation.
One Chief Ebieemere Gokpa, who was seen addressing the crowd, claimed that their chairman out of fear had escaped to Canada. We will remain here until the Rivers Governor gives further directive.
Youths loyal to Chibuike Peter and Gift Okere were also seen marching and singing to their Oyigbo council’s Secretariat as they warned the elected officials seeking tenure elongation to steer clear.
Ahoada East and Emohua youths were not left behind in the takeover bid as their youths occupied their councils’ secretariats.
At Emohua, one of the youths said the secretariat remained their collective property and no single person should lay claim to it.
He said: “This council does not belong to Chidi Lloyd. It belongs to all of us. We don’t have electricity for three years. We are calling on the governor to integrate our council in his political movement. We are here if you want to kill us we are ready to die”.
At Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area, the pro-Fubara youths took over the council’s secretariat saying they would only hand it over to the incoming interim management team.
Same scenarios played out at Asari-Toru, Ahoada East, Ogu-Bolo, where various pro-Fubara leaders including the Chief of Staff, Edison Ehie, who hails from Ahoada East, led youths to seize the councils’ secretariat.
It was, however, gathered that the state governor had compiled list of Interim Management Team (IMT) for the local government areas to be forwarded to the lawmakers led by Speaker Oko-Jumbo for screening and confirmation.
A source close to the Government House mentioned some of the IMT chairpersons as Promise Reginald, Omuma; David Omereji, Emohua; Darlington Orji, Ikwerre; Evans Bipi, Ogu-Bolu; Ihunwo Chijioke, Obio-Akpor and Orolosama Amachree, Asari-Toru.
