. Armed youths parade creeks in riverine councils, vow to escort caretaker committees to take over
. Warn your children to avoid being used as canon fodders, police advise parents
. Asari-Dokubo urges outgoing LG chairmen to avoid causing crisis, says ‘your tenure is over’
A palpable tension caused by the ongoing succession crisis enveloped the 23 local government areas of Rivers State on Monday sparking fears of possible outbreak of violence among residents of the oil-rich state.
At Degema Local Government Area secretariat, some youths were seen blocking the main entrance, chanting songs in solidarity and demanding the departure of the council’s Chairman, Michael John Williams.
The youths vowed to remain at the gate till Wednesday to stop Williams and other elected officials from gaining access their offices.
They insisted that their three-year tenure on June 17 and that they should not be seen around the secretariat after the Sallah holiday.
The youths were heard chanting “Chairman must go”, as others arrived the gate to join them.
Same scenario played out at Asari-Toru Local Government Secretariat where youths barricaded the gate to stop their LGA Chairman and others from gaining access to the area.
But at the Port Harcourt City LGA, over four patrol vans of policemen were seen keeping vigil at the gate to prevent possible breakdown of law and order.
There were indications that Rivers Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, had sent a list of caretaker committees to the lawmakers led by factional Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo.
Scores of armed youths, suspected to be surveillance workers, were seen in a viral video parading the creeks of riverine Local councils.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) claimed the Governor had sent names of the seven-man caretaker committees for each local government area to Oko-Jumbo-led lawmakers for screening.
An unidentified leader of joint task force anti-bunkering Southsouth was seen threatening fire and brimstone in another viral video.
He said he came home with half of his armed men to take over the 23 local government areas and to escort the Caretaker committees to their various councils.
He particularly drew a battle line with the outgoing Chairman of the Ikwerre Local Government Area, Samuel Nwanosike, who earlier vowed not to vacate his office after June 17.
He said: “We are preparing and we are about to take over the local government areas on Wednesday. We are taking over the 23 local government areas. Let them wait for us, we are coming.
“We will be escorting every local government caretaker. My business is to work for the government and relate with the government to fight crime. I work with the joint task force. I am in charge of anti-bunkering Southsouth.
“I am back home with half of my men. We are getting ready for Wednesday. Let all the caretaker get ready to host my boys too. The Chairman of Ikwerre should wait for me.
“I volunteer to come to Ikwerre, wait for us. If your head is hot, we will pour it cold water and it will be cool so that you learn how to respect elders and authority especially the number one citizen”.
But the police in the state asked the parties to obey the Court of Appeal order on status quo and vowed to secure the lives and properties in the state.
The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, who sent officers and operatives to monitor the councils, assured residents of their safety.
He urged parents to call their children tomorrow insisting that anyone found breaking the law would face the punishment.
Speaking after addressing the operatives on Monday, CP Disu, said parents should warn their children against getting involved in the crisis to avoid being used as cannon fodders.
He said: “My job as a policeman protect lives and property. And that is what we have gone out to do since morning.
“We are aware of the crisis that has to do with the tenure of the Local Government Chairmen and we have gotten one court order or the other, and the court of Appeal has given an order for everybody to exercise restraints till the 20th of this month, just three days.
“So we expect everybody to respect it and not take laws into their hands and allow peace to continue as it is.”
He said his officers working round the clock to safeguard the property and lives of residents of the state.
He said: “Sincerely you know our officers have been out for the past three days. I just finished addressing them and I thank them for the good job they have done and because they have been out since 4a.m, and they just came back.
“We are not taking it lightly. We are ready to go. Our officers have been on a show of force and we have had additional men given to us from the headquarters, the equipment has been serviced and we are ready to go.
“This is just to assure members of the public that so far as we are concerned we are ready to do our jobs of protecting lives and property.
“We have warned anybody who would want to take laws into their hands. I want to use this opportunity to talk to parents to call their children to order and talk to them so that their children will not be used as cannon fodders in this crisis.
“Everything that has to do with government property and every human being in this community would be protected.”
A famous freedom fighter, Alh. Alhaji Asari Dokubo advised the 23 local government areas to accept the end of their three years’ tenure in good faith, and resist creating crisis.
Speaking shortly after the Sallah Solidarity visit by stakeholders of the Muslim community in the State to Governor Fubara, Asari said tenure elongation was an aberration to the constitution of the country
He said: “Local Government tenure has expired today, 17th June 2024. They should quietly go home. If they want to seek re-election in accordance with the constitution, they should go and seek re-election.
“But there is no tenure elongation in the constitution. Their position is tenure bound, and that tenure has expired.
“Let them not cause unnecessary problem for the people of the state. And I want to advise young people, that look, don’t allow yourselves to be used.”
Asari said young Rivers people must protect the state against self-seeking individuals, who thought it was their private estate.
He said: “The people are showing peoples power. The people have gone on their own to take over local government secretariat because it is about the people, and nobody can say that we voted for three years tenure for a chairman and the chairman should exceed one second of that tenure.
“So, the people of Rivers State are exercising their people’s power and they are ready to take over until the government is ready to conduct a new election.”
However, the Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, George Onyengieforu, confirmed that his council was blocked in the morning by the youths.
He said he was on his way to the council when he sighted the development and decided to make a u-turn.
He wondered why people were asking them to hand over when there was no proper arrangement to take over.
He said: “Nigerians know today is a public holiday. I have seen the place. Just the kalabari legs. Tenure ends, who am I giving to?. We are governed by the Constitution.
“The Assembly and the governor are in appeal. We should wait till the end of the appeal on the 20th. I appeal to the youths to remain calm. We should not kill ourselves”.
(The Nation)
