The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) and over 40 affiliate organizations have threatened to stage a statewide protest if the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun does not withdraw his men from the 23 local government councils in Rivers State.
According to Vanguard News, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, had deployed officers to man all the local government councils following a crisis that erupted after the tenure of the outgoing chairmen expired, causing the newly sworn-in caretaker chairmen to operate from homes, hotels, and other places.
The South-South zonal chairman of CLO, Comrade Enefaa Georgewill has issued a seven-day ultimatum for the police to vacate the council secretariats or face a mass anti-police protest.
He said, “We give the Nigerian Police a 7-day ultimatum which expires next Friday, June 28, 2024, to withdraw its men from the 23 secretariats across the local government areas of the state. We are at the moment consulting with all our affiliates and we are giving the police Command a time of grace to do the needful.
“We have a Governor, who has decided the crisis arising from the local government tenure imbroglio by swearing in a new caretaker committee to carry out the administrative work at the councils pending the conduct of LG elections.
“A competent court of jurisdiction had ruled that the Martins Amaewhule Assembly had no right to make laws for the extension of the tenure of the past council chairmen. Police ought to obey the subsisting judgment and remain neutral in the matter pending the final ruling by the Appeal Court,”
The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Rivers State has called on the police to vacate the council secretariats and allow workers access to carry out their duties. A former APC spokesman, Mr. Sogboye Eli, has described the police siege on the council secretariats as unlawful, unconstitutional, and provocative.
Amid the political crisis, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, has cautioned Rivers youths against violence and criminal activities. Nwuche hosted party stakeholders and supporters, urging them to remain steadfast and support President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike. The supporters pledged loyalty to Nwuche and support for Wike and Tinubu, highlighting Wike’s infrastructural development in Abuja and Nwuche’s achievements during his time as Deputy Speaker..……..See More
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