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.
Acting-Inspector-General-of-Police-
Solomon-Arase
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.
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.”
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