Sophia Michaels
Gov Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has stated that the newly sworn-in caretaker committee chairmen in the state can carry out their duties from anywhere.
This comes after some of the chairmen accused the police of preventing them from gaining access into their council secretariats.
Governor Fubara stated this shortly after swearing in the 23 chairmen at the government house in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, June 19.
He warned the caretaker chairmen, not to confront the security men who have taken over the council secretariats, saying he does not want to be associated with violence.
“Let me also advise that as you resume in your respective local governments, please I do not want any confrontation, it is not in my nature. It is not my style. Whatever happened yesterday (Tuesday) I know and the world knows that it is not from you people.
Some persons caused it. So let us not allow them to continue to make our state look bad in the comity of states. So if you go back, if there is any situation I want you to be law abiding. I don’t want any confrontation. You can operate from anywhere,” he said.
He said the most important thing was that the caretaker chairmen are now in charge of the Local Government Areas.
Governor Fubara also noted that the tenure of the caretaker committee would be short because, in the coming days, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) would begin the process for the conduct of local government elections.
The state police command had on Tuesday announced, that it had taken over all the LG council headquarters to forestall further bloodshed and to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
A policeman and a member of a local security outfit were killed during a clash between supporters of the governor and his predecessor, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, at Eberi-Omuma in the Omuma Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday. June 18.
