Politics

Rivers Plans Parallel Secretariats As Police Bar Fubara Caretaker Chairmen

Published

2 weeks ago

June 20, 2024

Editor

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said 23 local government councils in the state will operate from alternative secretariats following Tuesday’s sealing of the councils by the police.

The governor, who said this after swearing in the 23 local government caretaker committee chairmen on Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, said they could operate from anywhere.

Fubara stated this as the police barred the newly inaugurated caretaker chairmen from from accessing their offices in all the 23 LG headquarters. The secretariats were barricaded with police patrol vans manned by armed policemen.

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.

Fubara and his predecessor have been embroiled in a bitter disagreement since late last year.

The crisis led to the bombing of the state House of Assembly last year, factionalised the House while the governor survived an impeachment by Martin Amaewhule led 27 lawmakers of the House loyal to the FCT minister.

The crisis worsened on Tuesday when youths loyal to the governor dislodged some chairmen loyal to Wike after the expiration of their tenure.

The three-year tenure of the 23 chairmen expired on Monday but they had vowed to remain in office, citing the Local Government Amendment Law 2024 made by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.

The law by the 27 lawmakers loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Wike, empowers them to remain in office for six months due to the failure of Fubara to conduct local government elections.

Caretaker chairmen

The governor after swearing in the newly appointed caretaker committee chairmen in the Government House on Wednesday, charged them to eschew violence, maintain the peace, and be guided by the Constitution.

Fubara also directed the Auditor-General of Local Governments to commence an immediate audit of the accounts of the 23 councils, adding the new appointees could operate from anywhere.

He said that the swearing-in of the chairmen would ensure seamless administration of local governments following the expiration of the tenure of elected chairmen and councillors in the state.

He warned them against any form of confrontation, insisting that such was not in his nature and style but advised them to be law-abiding as they take full control of the local government councils.

He said, “Whatever happened yesterday (Tuesday), I know and the world knows that it is not from you people. Some people caused it. So, let us not allow them to continue to make our state look bad in the comity of states.

“So, when you go back, if there is any situation, you should be law-abiding. I don’t want any confrontation. You can operate from anywhere for now. But the most important thing is that you have the control of the local governments today.”

Fubara defends appointments

Defending the appointment of the caretaker chairmen, he stated, “What is happening here now is a defence of democracy. We will not allow the wrong precedent to be created in this country.

“It is not about Rivers State. It is not about Fubara. But if in any way this attempt at tenure elongation succeeds in Rivers State, it becomes a norm in Nigeria.

“So, we have taken it upon ourselves to say, not on our watch will it happen because it is completely alien to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Fubara wondered why the tenure of elected officers would expire, and they would want to perpetuate themselves in office against their oath of office and the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria.

The governor said such insistence to elongate the tenure of council chairmen would not happen in the state.

He pointed to the importance of knowing how the finances of the 23 Local Government Councils were managed in the last three years and directed the Auditor-General of Local Governments to begin auditing the accounts and make the report available within the next month.

He urged the new chairmen to ensure payment of the outstanding financial benefits and entitlements, including salaries of the immediate past chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors.

He added, “I am not of the class to say that because something happened, you should maltreat them. No. Whatever is their entitlements, ensure that they get them.”

Fubara instructed the caretaker chairmen to work hard to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order in their various council areas.

He added, “Please, I want to appeal to you that when you go back, I don’t want a crisis. Just manage the situation as much as you can. God does not start and end halfway. That is the truth. Since God has started with us, He will complete His work in our lives.

“I don’t want any fight. I don’t want any life to be lost because it does not earn me anything. We know that we can overcome, and we have been overcoming.”

Reiterating that the caretaker chairmen would soon leave office, he said, “Let me also sound very clear here that your tenures are not going to be too long because as a matter of fact before the end of today or tomorrow, there should be a process for the commencement of elective local government chairmen in our dear state.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led State House of Assembly loyal to the governor had during plenary screened and confirmed the nominees,

The list of seven-member nominees per local government council was forwarded to the Assembly under Section 9 (5) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018, for screening and confirmation.

Secretariats shut

One of The PUNCH correspondents who went round the state reported that the LG secretariats of Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ogu/Bolo and Ikwerre and other council headquarters across the state were under lock and key with police patrol vans stationed and fierce-looking operatives.

The caretaker Chairman of the Ikwerre LGA, Dr Darlington Orji, said he was not able to access the council following the barricade mounted by the police. He, however, said he had assumed duties and could control the council affairs from anywhere.

Orji stated, “The police have taken over the place. When the police have taken over the place, what do you expect me to do?”

When asked if had started work, he responded in the affirmative.

Also, the caretaker Chairman of the Ogu/Bolo LGA, Evans Bipi, who could not access the secretariat, inaugurated other committee members outside the council secretariat and charged them to serve with diligence and honesty.

He said although the council was shut, he had assumed duties.

It was correspondents observed on Wednesday that the Federal High Court along Azikiwe Road and the State Judiciary complex housing the State High Court were locked, although no reason was been given, but it might be due the tension in the state.

Speakingnon the development, the state Commissioner for Police, Olatunji Disu, said the LG council headquarters would remain shut for the time being due to the clash between the feuding parties.

Disu stated, “It is because two groups are fighting over something. Two groups are fighting over it. The other group is waiting to tackle them. We have to prevent them from clashing and killing one another like they did yesterday (Tuesday) and killed a policeman and one other person.

“So we have to prevent them from going in. We have locked up the local government secretariats. If we allow them (caretaker chairmen) to go in, other people will come out and clash. Then people will ask what are we doing as police officers?

“We are here to prevent a breakdown of law and to protect lives and property. So we know definitely if there is a clash, anything can happen. So we are doing our jobs of protection of lives and property.”

On why local government workers were not allowed into their offices, he said, “For the time being nobody should come in. If we allow local government workers to come in, others will sneak in. So it will still boil down to the same thing. How do we sit and those who are not workers sneak in?

“So it is better we lock up the place and ensure that there is peace. And that is exactly what we are doing.”

Politics

2024 Guber: Edo Govt, APC Trade Words Over Alleged Corruption

Published

19 hours ago

June 30, 2024

Editor

Edo State government and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, weekend engaged in a heated dispute over allegations of corruption within the state government.

The APC had made allegations of widespread corruption against top officials in the government.

But the war of words escalated weekend when the APC called for a thorough investigation into the alleged corrupt practices in the state government.

However, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, dismissed the APC’s claim, describing it as baseless and politically motivated.

Addressing a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Benin, the acting State Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had already invited some top government officials and should ensure they bring the investigation to its conclusion.

According to Tenebe, the much-celebrated paperless operation in government was a ploy by Governor Godwin Obaseki to delete certain critical data from the server in case they lost the forthcoming election.

He said: “The latest plan by Obaseki to make the activities of his administration paperless is a criminal plan that has been designed by one ‘Ugo’ who is in charge of e-governance to destroy all documents relating to fraudulent contracts with the excuse that Edo government has gone paperless.

“Ugo has been allegedly instructed to delete the server containing sensitive documents when the PDP loses the election on September 21, 2024. We hereby warn the governor and the head of e-governance not to delete the approvals of contracts on e-gov.”

He also queried the N28 billion allegedly spent on a five-star hotel by the state government; the complex, he said, was already 85 per cent completed before the state government took it over from its original owner.

Tenebe also queried the modular refinery in the state which he claimed that Obaseki said was owned by the state government but after its completion, new documents have emerged suggesting that the modular refinery is now owned by an individual.

But Nehikhare dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated, noting that the APC and its leadership do not know how government works.

He said: “It is unfortunate that we still have people heading political parties without an idea of how the government is run and they believe in sensationalism.

“They cannot offer any policy statement or directions for a government they are trying to form instead they are chasing shadows, making allegations that are spurious and frivolous.

“We are not going to dignify them with our response but to tell Edo people to ask this APC leadership for their plans for the state.

“That is all we asked. We need to hear their plans, and how they plan to offer a better state than we have done here in PDP.”

Politics

‘You Should Be In Jail’, Nigerians Knock Senator Who Confessed Buying Votes

Published

1 day ago

June 29, 2024

Editor

Reactions have trailed the confession of Olalere Oyewumi, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator, who said he bought votes during the 2023 General Election.

Vote buying was one of the major challenges that confronted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the election.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had even deployed its officials in some polling units.

In a viral video, Oyewunmi, who is the Deputy Minority Senate Leader, narrated how he sent his aide on an errand on the eve of the election with his personal money for vote buying but was rejected by strong supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking in Yoruba, the Minority Leader, who represents Osun West District, said “I tried all the tricks I knew to win at the Onilu House (Ile Onilu) polling unit but these people didn’t allow me.

“After exhausting money for the election, I gave my personal money to Ten-Ten to give to people at night to buy votes on the eve of the election, Ten-Ten came back with my money, saying the people rejected it. I was surprised.

“That was why I reached out to these people because I cannot be a Senator and continue to fail there. I was the one who called Ayandosu from Abuja to join me in the PDP. I told him he has talent and that the party he was serving then (APC) would not allow him to grow.”

Reacting to the development, the leadership of APC through its chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, said the confession had shown that Osun election was not free and fair.

In a statement, Lawal said: “The confessional statement of Senator Oyewumi was a confirmation of the fact that the last series of the elections in the state which secured victory for all the PDP candidates including Governor Ademola Adeleke, were brazenly rigged.

“The self-confession of Senator Oyewumi was an indication that he is a desperate politician who could go to any length to illegally corner opportunities regardless of what such portends to the right-thinking members of the society.

“In a civilized clime, Senator Oyewumi has no iota of reason to remain a minute longer in the Senate where he has been the Minority Leader based on his self-confession that he engaged in vote-buying during the election that secured a fraudulent victory for him.

“By now, Senator Oyewumi should be a guest of the statutory law enforcement agency constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of investigating such political crime involving a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

On social media, some users called on EFCC to investigate the matter.

Below are other comments:

An Instagram user, @_tomiideeh said: “Our problems are self inflicted… we are the architects of our misfortune.”

@henry_aniegboka_: “One don come out to confess, plenty more go still happen”

@lovefromify: “If only Nigeria was a decent society. Even with this… let’s see if anything can happen.”

@strithustla: “He didn’t only admit it, he said it with his mouth. In a sane country he would have been in jail by now.”

@goodnewsericoisika: “Even after the confession nothing is going to happen the youths who are suppose to act will fight each other to protect the rich / the politician that st0le from them.”

@rosywills: “All of them na same ! We never ready for Nigeria. Total overhauling is the only way. From top to bottom!!!”
@xcel_b_thyname: “The ending part, it’s about their personal growth and not the betterment of Nigeria. The buying of vote is old school, majority of them do it.”

@nagudiae: “EFCC where are you ?”

Politics

Delta: Councillorship Candidate Dies Weeks To Election, Ijaw Seek Restraining Order In 3 LGAs

Published

2 days ago

June 28, 2024

Editor

Barely two weeks before the local government council elections in Delta State, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillorship candidate has died.

Identified as Hon Jumi Odaji, he was seeking a second term to represent Bowen Ward 20 (Agbassa & Alders Town) in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State in the upcoming July 13 local government election.

He passed away on Thursday night, and the cause of his death is unknown at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, some prominent Deltans have instituted a suit at the Federal High Court, Asaba, praying the court to stop the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) from conducting the July 13 local government election in some council areas.

They are Denbo-Denbofa Oweikpodor, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, Arc Sylvester Adowei, Emmanuel Igetei, and Midwest Kukuru Esq., maintaining that the election should not hold in Warri South, Warri South-West, and Warri North Local Government Areas.

The plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and “the Ijaw people of the three LGAs of Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State,” in suit no: FHC/ASB/CS/87/2024, demanded a declaration that: “The 2nd Defendant (DSIEC) cannot conduct council elections in the three councils of Delta State, without the 1st Defendant (INEC) establishing fresh polling units in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in Appeal No. S/413/2016: HON. GEORGE U. TIMINIMI & 9 ORS v. INEC delivered on 2/12/2022.”