Tension is mounting Rivers following the replacement of 23 local government chairmen in the state by Governor Siminalayi Fubara
On Tuesday, the governor directed heads of local government administration to take charge of the 23 council areas of the state.
This follows expiration of the statutory three-year tenure of the elected chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors on Monday
Fubara gave the directive on Tuesday in a statewide broadcast.
The governor said: “ Heads of Local Government Administration (HLGAs) are hereby directed to immediately take charge of the councils with renewed vigour and readiness to serve and await further directives as we navigate towards even greater accomplishments together.
“As we move forward in making sure that the constitution is upheld, and that law and order are maintained as we continue to strive to provide leadership and direction for our people, I hereby direct heads HLGAs to continue to provide leadership in their respective local government areas.”
He thanked the elected chairmen and councilors for their service which, according to him, expired yesterday.
On Monday, Degema and Asari-Toru councils were enveloped by anxiety as youths took over the secretariats, following the expiration of the tenure of chairmen, councillors and other council officials.
Youths who blocked Degema council secretariat vowed to remain there till tomorrow as they burst into solidarity songs, demanding the exit of the Chairman, Michael John Williams.
According to the protesters, the three-year tenure of the chairman had expired on June 17.
At Asari-Toru Local Government Secretariat, youths barricaded the gate to stop their chairman and officials from gaining access to the premises.
Fears were rife that the mounting tension may degenerate into violence in the oil-rich state.
At the Port Harcourt City Council, four patrol vans of policemen were seen keeping vigil at the gate to prevent breakdown of law and order.
Police vowed to dislodge the troublemakers, saying that the court order on status quo should be obeyed by parties in the dispute.
The chairmen have insisted on remaining in office, citing the court ruling in the case involving the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly and the three man House led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.
Rivers State is brewing into crisis, following the court order recognising the three-man House of Assembly, which quashed the extention of the chairmen’s tenure granted by the 27-member Assembly.
Governor Siminalayi Fubara had maintained that the council chairmen should leave on June 17, saying that the tenure extention was unconstitutional.
However, the chairmen insisted that their tenures had been extended and vowed to continue in office after a High Court sitting in Port-Harcourt, the state capital, ruled that the 27 lawmakers have not defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
There was apprehension as armed youths, suspected to be surveillance workers, were seen in a viral video parading the creeks of riverine local councils.
