Rivers State Governor, Chief Ezebunwo
Nyesom Wike on Friday cried out over the
decision of Rivers State Police Command, to
barricade entrances into the secretariats of
22, out of the 23 local government councils
in the state, thereby denying the newly
sworn in caretaker committees access to
the councils.
A Federal High Court had on Thursday
nullified the election of 22 local government
chairmen and councilors, prompting Wike to
immediately submit names of nominees for
chairmen and members of caretaker
committees for the local government
councils to the Rivers State House of
Assembly, where they were screened and
cleared and thereafter sworn in by the
governor at a brief ceremony at Government
House, Port Harcourt late Thursday night.
The State Police Command, who took over
the council secretariats early yesterday
morning, said it based on intelligence it
received that some persons are planning
disturbance of public peace in reaction to
the judgment of the Federal High Court.
Acting-Inspector-General-of-Police-
Solomon-Arase
This is as the All Progressives Congress
(APC) described the setting up of caretaker
committees based on the judgment of the
Court as illegal, saying the judgment of the
Court by Justice Lambo Akanbi was
unacceptable to it.
Wike, who spoke yesterday at Government
House, Port Harcourt while inaugurating the
Rivers State Judicial Service Commission
(RSJSC) and the Rivers State Independent
Electoral Commission (RSIEC), wondered
why the Police will chose not to obey an
order of the Federal High Court which
nullified the election of the council officials.
The governor said, “But, you can see what
is happening in the country today and that is
the change everybody is talking about. The
change the Nigerians expect is what we are
seeing this morning. We woke up this
morning and the police have taken over all
the council secretariats. They said that is
the directive of the Inspector-General of
Police. They said nobody should enter the
councils. I knew this will happen that is why
I didn’t dissolve the councils.
“Plateau State government dissolved local
government councils and nothing happened.
Now, the court has nullified the election and
Police said they will not obey court order. If
I had dissolved the councils then, there
would have been an excuse, where did you
derive your powers to dissolve the councils.
So, that is the change Nigeria is expecting,
and we have seen the change.”
Responding to Wike’s comments, the Police
Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state,
Ahmad Muhammad, said taking over of the
council secretariat is a proactive measure to
protect lives and property, as well as track
down any attempt to break law and order in
the state.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) in the state has said it will not accept
the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port
Harcourt, which nullified the May 23, 2015
local government election, conducted by the
Professor Augustine Ahiazu-led RSIEC.
APC, in statement issued in Port Harcourt
yesterday and signed by its Publicity
Secretary, Chris Finebone, reads in part,
“Reports just received by the Rivers State
Chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC,
allege that the Governor of Rivers State, Barr
Nyesom Wike last night appointed and
swore in Caretaker Committees for 22 Local
Government Councils in Rivers State
presumably based on the illegal
pronouncements of Federal High Court I
sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by
Justice Lambo Akanbi yesterday
(Thursday).
“The APC would like to unequivocally state
that the aforementioned judgment by
Justice Akanbi yesterday was illegal and, to
that extent, unacceptable to the APC. Our
rejection of that illegal judgment is based on
facts.
“Firstly, on the 29th of April, Justice Lambo
Akanbi acknowledged that he was on notice
that the jurisdiction of his Court was on
appeal by Counsel to the RSIEC and Rivers
State Government and therefore adjourned
the matter before him sine die pending the
outcome of the appeal. Consequently, all
parties retreated to wait for the decision of
the Court of Appeal fixed for 12th October
for which all parties are already on hearing
notice.
“Secondly, the application to join by the APC
which Justice Akanbi turned down was
appealed and that appeal is still pending at
the Court of Appeal.
“Thirdly, there is a subsisting court Order in
Suit No: NICN/YEN/26/2015 by the National
Industrial Court, Yenagoa preventing the
Governor and other parties from undertaking
any action to dissolve the 23 Councils and/
or remove the Chairmen and Councillors
from office and both courts have co-ordinate
jurisdiction.”
Source: LEADERSHIP NEWSPAPER.
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