All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency to avert a further deterioration of the security situation in the state.
The party’s call came barely two hours after Governor Siminalayi Fubara swore in the chairmen of caretaker committees for the 23 local government areas of the state.
The new council chiefs were sworn in at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Port Harcourt, less than two hours after they were screened and cleared by the House of Assembly.
The governor directed the heads of local administration (HLGAS) to take charge in their respective councils until further directives were given in a state-wide broadcast on Monday.
LEADERSHIP observed that the action led Fubara supporters and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, to move for the control of the councils’ secretariats.
The development led to the killing of a police officer and a local vigilante member in Omuma LGA and a students’ union leader in Ahoada-East LGA.
But addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, Chief Tony Okocha, chairman of the state APC caretaker committee, said the crisis needed to be stopped from escalating by declaring a state of emergency.
Okocha declared that members of the APC, residents of the state, and businesses were not involved in the ongoing crisis.
He said, “Rivers State is at war;Who are the dramatis personae? Who are the actors? The actors are Governor Siminalayi Fubara versus Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Those are the actors of the war.
“Recall that we said that this state is sitting on a gunpowder and just requires a little spark; everywhere will burn. What is happening today? When we said that, they said we were criticising and that we saw nothing good about the administration. But were we right? The answer is yes.
“I want to use this opportunity to absolve APC members in Rivers State. We are not part of the ongoing war in Rivers State. I will also absolve the innocent residents of Rivers State, who have come here to do business, to fend for themselves and put food on their table.
“I want to say that we also absolve innocent citizens of Rivers State. The war is Governor Siminalayi (Fubara) versus Governor Siminalayi. That is the war in Rivers State as we speak,.” Okocha said.
Meanwhile, Governor Fubara has directed the auditor-general for local government to commence the audit of the 23 LGAs’ activities in the past three years and make the reports available within one month.
He said, “It is important to know what has happened and how our funds were used in those 23 LGAs. It is also important to serve as a check for those coming in.”
He stated that the plot by some outgone LG chairmen to remain in office after their tenure expired is an affront to democracy that will not be permitted, as tenure elongation is utterly alien to the Nigerian constitution.
The governor noted that he defended democracy, as allowing tenure elongation to succeed in Rivers State would also make it a norm in the country.
He said, “Let me also say it: what is happening here is in defence of our democracy. We will not allow a wrong precedent to be created in this country. It is not about Rivers State or me, but if in any way this attempt of tenure elongation succeeds in Rivers State, it will become a norm in Nigeria.”
“So, we have taken it up on ourselves that such a thing will not happen within our watch. It is completely alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Fubara said it was unthinkable for those whose tenure expired to continue to hold office under the guise that an election had not been conducted, stressing that over 85 per cent of the states in Nigeria run their local government areas on caretaker.
The governor said, “Ours is different. You had your tenure and completed it; it is proper that you also leave. Life does not allow for a vacuum. People must take over and manage the affairs and elections conducted.”
He stated that the tenure of the caretaker chairmen might not be extended as efforts are underway to conduct elections for the local government administration.
Fubara charged the caretaker chairmen with avoiding confrontation and ensuring that they maintain peace and order in their various local government areas, stressing that crisis is not his style.
The governor said, “So, let us not allow them to continue to make our state look bad. When you return to your LGAs, if there is any situation, I want you to be law-abiding, with no confrontation. You can operate from anywhere; most importantly, you control the LGAs today.”
He appealed to the chairmen to ensure they paid the salaries and entitlements of the outgoing chairmen, vice-chairmen, and councillors in their various LGAs, regardless of what happened.