Rivers State governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, yesterday cried out over
the decision of the 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 its action on intelligence it
received that some persons were planning disturbance of public peace in
reaction to the judgment of the Federal High Court.
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.
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