Politics
Rivers crisis: Amaewhule-led Assembly directs police to arrest ‘impostor’ caretaker chairmen
The speaker Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly in Rivers state has called on the police to arrest persons parading themselves as the caretaker committee chairmen of the 23 local government areas in the state.
The lawmakers further asked the police to immediately withdraw their personnel attached to such persons following what they referred to as the refusal of the state Governor Siminialayi Fubara, to dissolve the illegal caretaker committees in obedience to the Supreme Court judgment.
The lawmakers gave the directive after reviewing the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the recent Supreme Court judgment, which granted autonomy to the local government councils, during their 7th legislative sitting.
The resolution of the Amaewhule-led House titled, Public Notice, was signed by the chairman of the House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabor George.
After deliberating on the judgment, the lawmakers drew the attention of the public to the unlawful activities of “the impostors who are still parading themselves as caretaker committee chairmen and members”, in flagrant disobedience to the Supreme Court judgment.
The Amaewhule-led House observed that the “illegal caretakers” were imposing rates and levies on the residents and unduly harassing uninformed members of the public despite the judgment and the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government Amendment Law of 2023.
The lawmakers said the amended local government law forbade such individuals from assuming the positions they had so far occupied.
The House further called on all banks, government at all levels, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), traditional institutions, residents and all stakeholders to stop doing business with “such unelected” individuals.
“They are by this notice further informed not to deal or transact business with these unelected individuals, who want to truncate our hard-earned democracy and are currently in contempt of injunctive orders of the Supreme Court.
“The police and other law-enforcement agencies have also been informed to commence the arrest of these impostors”, the House said.
The lawmakers said their directives were in pursuant to Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which guaranteed a system of local government by democratically elected local government councils and Section. 64(1) of Rivers State Local Government Law number 5 of 2018, which empowers the House to give directives that only those elected should run the affairs of the 23 local government councils in the state.
Chairman, Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, John Odigie-Oyegun, says former president Muhammadu Buhari gave him the shock of his life, six months into his administration as Nigeria’s leader.
Oyegun made this disclosure on Friday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.
He revealed that as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he went to tell Buhari that he was not delivering his election promises to Nigerians but that the late president told him he would not rule with strictness, but rather wanted to show Nigerians that he is a true civilian president.
The former APC National Chairman lamented that it became business as usual, from there.
“I was national chairman of the APC. Six months or less into our assuming office, fairly alarmed, I went to the late President Buhari for a one-on-one talk. I said Mr President, this is not what the people were expecting. They wanted a bit of the old president Buhari.
“And he explained to me, Mr Chairman, I have learned my lesson. I was shocked. And don’t forget at that time, a lot of prominent Nigerians took their holidays abroad, just to be sure and see what this new sheriff in town will be.
“Buhari told me he wants to now show the people that he’s a true civilian president in Agbada. And by the time we finished the conversation, I said Oh God, we are finished. Because, if he’s not ready to be strict, what’s the point?
“Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proven correct. And of course, it became business as usual, only that they are a new set of tenants in Aso Rock. That was a shocker,” he said.
Former lawmaker, Dino Melaye Esq, has raised concerns over the Senate’s reported rejection of the electronic transmission of election results.
The move, according to Melaye, is a clear endorsement of election rigging and an indication of a sinister plan to rig the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Friday, the former lawmaker criticized the Senate’s decision, stating that it undermines the credibility of the electoral process.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC chieftain, also stated that the move opens the door for electoral manipulation and fraud.
He further warned that the rejection of electronic transmission of results is a step backwards for democracy in Nigeria.
Melaye called on lawmakers and citizens to stand up against “this blatant attempt to undermine the will of the people and ensure that future elections are free, fair, and transparent”.
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said Nigerians have every reason to be mad at the Senate over the ongoing debate on e-transmission of election results.
Ezekwesili made this known on Friday when she featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’ monitored by DAILY POST.
DAILY POST reports that the Senate on Wednesday turned down a proposed change to Clause 60, Subsection 3, of the Electoral Amendment Bill that aimed to compel the electronic transmission of election results.
Reacting to the matter, Ezekwesili said, “The fundamental issue with the review of the Electoral Act is that the Senate retained the INEC 2022 Act, Section 60 Sub 5.
“This section became infamous for the loophole it provided INEC, causing Nigerians to lose trust. Since the law established that it wasn’t mandatory for INEC to transmit electoral results in real-time, there wasn’t much anyone could say.
“Citizens embraced the opportunity to reform the INEC Act, aiming to address ambiguity and discretionary opportunities for INEC. Yet, the Senate handled it with a “let sleeping dogs lie” approach. The citizens have every reason to be as outraged as they currently are.”
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