Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has inaugurated a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the arson, killings, and destruction of property at various Local Government Council Headquarters in the State.
Fubara inaugurated the seven-member commission on Tuesdayat the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt.
The commission, which has one month to conclude its assignment, has Hon. Justice Ibiwengi Roseline Minakiri as Chairman, Mrs Inyingi Brown as the Secretary, and Barrister Uzor Ikenga as the Counsel.
Other members include Barrister Felicia Nwoke, Prof. Blessing Didia, Sir Samuel Egbe, and Venerable Alex Usifor.
The governor said the recent attacks and burning of Local Government Councils’ Secretariats on the 7th of October, 2024, seemed like a repeat of what was experienced in 2014, months before the General Elections of 2015, when courts were set ablaze, residences bombed. People were killed, leading to the closure of courts in Rivers State.
Fubara said his administration would not look away while ill-guided youths and sponsored political thugs turn the State into a theatre of violence without being made to pay for such crimes against the State.
He said, “So, I have decided to take this action to find out the immediate and remote causes of this arson; most importantly, no matter the personalities involved, we must bring them to book.
“So, this assignment is critical. It is an assignment that, if it is not done rightly, would allow the enemies of this State to continue.
“And if we are right, it will be the end of further destruction of public property in the State. I know it is going to be very tasking. There will be threats, but you must be strong.”
He stated that the commission of inquiry is long overdue for inauguration owing to the incidents witnessed since his administration came on board.
Fubara explained that a similar incident occurred sometime in the past, about October 2023. Because he thought that everybody was from the same political family, he decided to let go.
The governor added that the persistence of violence and differences between people who once worked together seemingly destroyed any chances of settling internal misgivings.
He said: “It has become apparent that rather than getting close to the path of peace, this State is gradually turning into a kingdom where law and order is no longer the order of the day. And we cannot fold our hands and allow such a thing to happen.
“On the 5th of October, 2024, about four days ago, we had an election in this State. Before the election, we also heard from many quarters songs of war, (and) threats. Still, we never took them seriously because we believed that a local government election is a prerogative of the State Government. It has nothing to do with anybody anywhere that is outside the confinement of our State.
“And for that reason, we believed strongly that whatever it is, we could manage it to produce the purpose of that election.
“But, it is miserable that after the election, even while the election was going on, several things happened, which we managed, thinking it would end there.
“The day after the election, there were also more threats from people, and we also thought it was just a normal threat, believing that it was not going to be out of hand, but it did.”
Governor Fubara told members of the commission that God had not made any mistake in finding them suitable for the assignment given to them.
He urged them to work to actualise the purpose of the assignment and noted that history will remember this responsibility given to them.
Governor Fubara outlined the assignment’s terms of reference, saying that they must “Determine the underlying causes of the violence and identify the individuals or groups reasonable for the attacks on some Local Government Council Headquarters and the harm caused to citizens.
“Evaluate the extent of damage to property, infrastructure, and human lives and estimate the financial losses incurred.
“Examine whether the violence was politically motivated, and if so, identify the key players and their roles in instigating the violence.
“Assess the effectiveness of the security agencies’ response to the violence and identify areas for improvement.
“Investigate the actions of individuals and groups involved in the violence in the face of the relevant laws, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, etc.
“Advise on adequate compensation and support for victims and their families, as well as measures to prevent future occurrences.
“Make recommendations on long-term strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future, including recommendations for policy reforms, community engagement, and conflict resolution mechanisms.
“Recommend appropriate sanctions for individuals and groups found culpable.
“Make other relevant recommendations in light of its findings which the commission may consider appropriate,” and also mandated the commission to submit its report within “one month”.
Governor Fubara said the task would be challenging for them but added that they must brace up and do what is suitable for the good of Rivers State.
