Rivers Crisis: Pro-Wike Lawmakers Direct Police To Arrest 23 LG Caretaker Chairmen

The Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly has called on the State Police Command to arrest persons parading themselves as 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’s governor, Siminialayi Fubara, to dissolve the caretaker committees in obedience to the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The lawmakers, who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, gave the directive after reviewing the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the recent Supreme Court judgement, which granted financial autonomy to the local government area in the country, during their 7th legislative sitting.

The resolution of the House titled, ‘Public Notice’, was signed by the chairman, House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabo George.

After deliberating on the judgement, 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 judgement.

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The House observed that the “illegal caretakers” were imposing rates and levies on the residents and unduly harassing uninformed members of the public despite the judgement and the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government Law of 2023.

The lawmakers said the amended local government law forbids 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.