The secretariat of the 23 local government councils in Rivers State will remain under seal, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun said yesterday.
According to him, the seal-off will remain until a decision of the court in the controversy.
The caretaker chairman appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and inaugurated on Wednesday started operating from makeshift offices having failed to access the secretariats.
Also yesterday, the Court of Appeal heard the cases and allowed the counsel of both parties in the House of Assembly, to adopt their written addresses.
It subsequently reserved judgment.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) clarified his position, saying it only called for a state of emergency declaration, to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
Police barricade to remain, says Egbetokun
Egbetokun said the police will continue to barricade the entrance of local government secretariats until the court verdict.
He said: “The Rivers State issue is in court. The police will wait until the outcome of the court case. Whatever the court decides is what the police will do. Yes, we have our men barricading the entrance of the local government secretariats as at now. We are doing that to prevent the breakdown of law and order in Rivers State. We do not want another person to be killed.”
Three people, including a policeman, have died following the violence that broke out over the tenure of local government executives.
Chairmen operate from hotels, homes, secretariat annex
Many council chairmen have started operating from hotels, secretariat annexes and their homes, it was learnt.
Others are also making use of the customary courts in their councils as temporary offices.
A source also said many of them have inaugurated other members of caretaker committees as directed by the governor.
According to the source, “the governor said they can operate from anywhere. Some of them are working from hotels, while some are using meeting halls in their homes for now. What is important is that they have resumed work.”
Yesterday, the chairmen announced the dissolution of all standing committees in their various local governments.
The chairman of Emohua, David Omereji, inaugurated other caretaker Committee members at the Customary Court in Rumuji.
His counterpart at Omuma local government, Promise Reginald, dissolved the committees on revenue, petroleum taskforce, sanitation, motor parks and other adhoc panels set up by the former chairman.
Also, while dissolving similar committees in Asari Toru Council, the chairman, Orolosama Peter Amachree, said a new era had commenced.
In Obio-Akpo, the chairman, Ihunwo Chijioke, advised companies to halt dealings with the former chairman.
He said: “Companies operating in Obio Akpor local government area should also take note of the development and stop dealing with fake agents and unauthorized persons. Furthermore, security agencies are directed to arrest and prosecute impersonators.”
Rivers is peaceful, says governor
Fubara, who spoke in Egbelu Community after inspecting the 14.6km Omodu-Eberi Road project, said Rivers was peaceful.
He said the report that the state was immersed in crisis was not true, adding that mischief makers only wanted to give the state a bad name.
Fubara said: “Rivers State is peaceful. You can see that we are moving about inspecting projects as against what you see on the screens of your television sets that police are everywhere, that we don’t move about anymore, and that Rivers State is under siege.
“We are not under siege. Our State is free and peaceful. If at all there is any problem in any part of the state, I know quite well that Nigerians know where the problem is coming from, not from us.
“We are peace-loving people. It is already written all over us. Our actions and our deeds have confirmed that we are peace-loving people.
“We will continue to maintain the peace that we promised everyone, for the betterment of the good people of Rivers state”.
Fubara told the business community, particularly potential investors, to take advantage of the vast investment opportunities in the state.
Amaewhule/Oko-Jumbo: Appeal Court reserves judgment
The Appeal Court, Port Harcourt Division, in a virtual sitting, reserved judgment in the case between Amaewhule and the Victor Oko-Jumbo after hearing the appeals brought against the judgment of the state High Court by the Amaewhule.
A Rivers State High Court, in Port Harcourt, on May 10, 2024, stopped Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker and 24 other lawmakers from sitting as members of the Assembly.
The court gave the order after considering a motion brought before it by Jumbo, and two others, who argued that the seats of Amaewhule and 24 others had been declared vacant.
Justice Charles Wali, while ruling on the motion ex parte, also barred 24 other members of the Assembly from accessing the complex or carrying out any such legislative assignment in the name of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Dissatisfied with the verdict, Amaewhule and his colleagues approached the appellate court to set aside the motion ex-parte.
They prayed the court to stay execution of the judgment, which sacked them from office.
At the hearing, Amaewhule’s legal team, while adopting its briefs, urged the court to uphold the appeal.
The team argued that the ex-parte motion granted by the High Court should be set aside as the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
But the respondents’ lawyers asked the court to dismiss the appeal, describing it as incompetent.
After hearing the submissions, the three-man panel led by Justice Jimi Olukayode-Bada reserved judgment.
The appellate court in a ruling on June 14 ordered that all parties in the suit maintained status quo and cease hostilities until the matter is heard and decided.
The Appeal Court further stopped the State High Court or any other court from entertaining the matter until it was decided.
The Court of Appeal also heard other appeals relating to the crisis in Rivers and adjourned till today for further hearing.
‘APC can’t forcibly take over Rivers’
The APC National Working Committee (NWC) berated the PDP over its allegation that it was planning to forcibly take over the government of Rivers State.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka in a statement in Abuja said the allegation was “false, ridiculous and baseless.”
Morka said: “Governor Siminalayi Fubara is the supreme architect of the horrific crisis rocking Rivers state. Since assuming office over a year ago, Governor Fubara has displayed reckless disdain for the rule of law and democratic institutions, and conducted his government in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In an unprecedented display of autocratic arrogance, Governor Fubara declared the democratically elected Rivers State House of Assembly to be non-existent and, without lawful authority, constituted a bogus and illegal 3-man sham Assembly in brazen violation of express provisions of the Constitution on the threshold composition of the House of Assembly and in disregard of the separation of powers doctrine.
“The Governor has continued to expend public funds without lawful appropriations by a duly constituted legislature thereby undermining the will of the good people of Rivers State and their right to effective and accountable democratic governance.”
He added: “Governor Fubara is an executive governor of crisis. A serious and focused Governor would have set a clear programme to conduct local government elections given the established timeline for the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent elected local government officials.
“Rather, Governor Fubara sat on his hands and waited, idly, for their tenure to elapse in order to unleash a fresh round of thuggery and executive lawlessness on the people of Rivers state and, again, seeking to arbitrarily impose an illegal, unconstitutional and anti-democratic caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments in place of a democratically elected local government officials.
“The current crisis in Rivers state is clearly contrived and executed by Governor Fubara who has continued to usurp the legislative power of the Rivers state legislature while contemptuously disregarding valid decisions and orders of courts of competent jurisdiction in critical matters at the root of the crisis in the state.
“The PDP would rather peddle falsehood about a non-existent plot to interfere with the government of Rivers state instead of giving a crash course to Governor Fubara on the basic tenets of democratic and constitutional governance for the benefit of the good people of Rivers State.”
Security experts, residents commend police
The Rivers State Police Command has been commended for exhibiting professionalism and neutrality.
A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Joseph Mbu, said it would have been out of order for the police to fold their hands and watch the situation degenerate.
Mbu, a former Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, faulted the deployment of alternative police by the state government, stressing that no CP would ever allow that in his state.
He said: “Although the action of the other side was provocative and unconstitutional, the governor should have exercised more patience since there was a long holiday. He could have given them till the first working day which was on Thursday to vacate and if they failed to do so, he can then write the Commissions of Police to enforce their vacation.
“So, I don’t see anything wrong with the police taking over. No CP will fold his hands and watch his state thrown into violence. The police did the right thing and they have so far stayed very neutral.”
The National Coordinator, Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro Junior, said he was very proud of the performance of the police, led by CP Disu, adding that they have remained professional since the beginning of the crisis.
He said: “If not for the proactiveness of the CP, there would have been so much bloodshed in Rivers State yesterday. We also understand that some of the political gladiators have recruited cultists and all sorts of violent elements to unleash mayhem on their rivals but the CP and his men were able to rise to the occasion to prevent breakdown of law and order.”
A retired senior police officer SP Sewari, commended CP Disu and his men for handling the political crisis well.
“The Police in Rivers State Command Under the leadership of the present CP is doing virtually well in terms of handling political crisis in the state.
“He is non partisan always professional in the performance of his duty in line with the extant rules and regulations of the Force.
“Mainly the protection of lives and properties of the citizenry and government. By my rating, he is exceptional, very proactive and diligent,” said SP Sawari.
Another resident, Prince Udemkwe, said the fact that the warring factions were accusing the police of taking sides was a pointer that the service had stayed neutral and refused to do their bidding.
“It is very clear that each side wants the police to support them but they are not having their way. That is why both sides have been accusing the police of taking sides. For us, the ordinary residents in Rivers State, we are glad that the police have stayed proactive.
“If the police were not proactive in preventing some of the actions of these politicians, I won’t be able to go about my legitimate business and that will further make life difficult in this already hard economy.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, dismissed allegations of bias against the police.
She insisted that the police acted in public interest and in good faith, noting that it was the duty of the command to preempt and prevent any act of violence.
Iringe-Koko said the Commissioner of Police had continually sounded warning to all operatives of the command to be neutral and apolitical, adding that all the police had done since the crisis begun was stay on the sides of the law.
Rivers needs peace, says PDP vice chairman
PDP National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Chief Kamoru Ajisafe called on stakeholders to resolve the leadership crisis rocking the Rivers chapter.
Ajisafe, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, said the crisis was getting out of hand,urging stakeholders to take urgent steps to bring about peace in line with the party’s constitution.
He said stakeholders must act to end the crisis through strict adherence to the relevant provisions of the PDP’s and the constitution.
Ajisafe added: “My response to this Rivers political crisis is that the players and stakeholders in the party should follow the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution and of our party.”
