Fubara Directs CTC Chairmen to Operate from Home Amidst Rivers Crisis
Fubara instructs CTC Chairmen to work remotely in order to minimize conflict during the Rivers Crisis.
Rivers State Governor Fubara instructs caretaker committee chairmen to work remotely to avoid conflict amid crisis, as police take over council secretariats to maintain peace and order.
The freshly sworn-in caretaker committee chairs can function remotely, according to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in the event that attempts to enter council secretariats would jeopardize the state's calm.
This was said by Governor Fubara not long after the 23 chairmen were sworn in on Wednesday at the government house in Port Harcourt.
He told the acting chairmen that he did not want to be linked to violence and advised them not to oppose the security guards who had taken over the council secretariats.
“Let me also advise that as you resume in your respective local governments, please I do not want any confrontation, it is not in my nature. It is not my style.
“Whatever happened yesterday (Tuesday) I know and the world knows that it is not from you people.
“Some persons caused it. So let us not allow them to continue to make our state look bad in the comity of states. So if you go back, if there is any situation I want you to be law abiding. I don't want any confrontation. You can operate from anywhere,” he said.
The fact that the Local Government Areas are currently under the caretaker chairmen's leadership, according to him, is what matters most.
Fubara further mentioned that the caretaker committee's term would be brief because the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) would be starting the procedure to hold local government elections in a few days.
In an attempt to avert more violence and a collapse of law and order, the state police command declared on Tuesday that it had taken control of the whole LG Council buildings.
The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and supporters of the governor engaged in gunfire on Tuesday in Eberi-Omuma in the Omuma Local Government Area of the state, resulting in the deaths of a policeman and a member of a local security group.
A never-ending dispute has been brewing between Fubara and his predecessor since late last year.
After some chairmen loyal to Wike were removed by youths supporting the governor after their terms ended on Tuesday, the tension escalated.
The Local Government Amendment Law 2024, which was enacted by the House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule, was the reason why the 23 chairmen, whose terms were up on Monday, pledged to stay in office.
The 27 lawmakers who support Wike passed a law allowing them to hold office for an additional six months because Fubara was unable to hold local government elections.
Orji, one of the 23 recently sworn-in caretaker local government chairman in Rivers State, claimed that security personnel barred him from entering the Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) offices on Wednesday.
The just sworn-in caretaker chairman for Ikwerre LGA responded, “Upon swearing in today, we were asked to resume so that we can swear in our members,” when asked if he had officially taken office.
“I got to Ikwerre Local Government Council and I saw that it's being barricaded by security agents, the police to be very precise.
“I asked a question and they said they were acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police.
“That is the situation. I couldn't access the council because I did not want to break the law. My responsibility is to ensure that there is law and order and to make sure that my people are protected.
“So, I wouldn't want to force myself against the security agent so that I would not have any clash with them. That is the position at the moment. The police barricaded the gate of the council. There is no point in a power tussle. We are working on it and we will see what to do about it.”
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