The South-East, South-South Professionals of Nigeria, on Wednesday, called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately withdraw policemen who had been laying siege to the Rivers LG since June 17.
The group made the demand at a press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday.
In a statement signed by its President, Hannibal Uwaifo, the group expressed concerns about the situation in Rivers and condemned what it described as “unilateral actions of the Nigerian Police Force” to lay siege on the LG offices.
The police took over the 23 Rivers State LG secretariats on June 17 after violence broke out in a bid to remove the local government chairmen, whose tenure ended.
The LG chairmen had insisted that they would remain in office for another six months because the state had not conducted LG election to produce their replacements.
However, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, insisted that they could no longer remain in office and appointed caretaker committees to replace them.
Following the clash, the police waded in and insisted that no one would access the LG secretariats.
Egbetokun said the LG offices would remain under police occupation until the court decided on the case.
Our correspondents, who went round on Wednesday, observed that 16 days after policemen were still stationed at the LG secretariats, preventing entry.
On Wednesday, the SESSPN faulted the police action, calling for an end to the siege.
The group said, “Local government councils are under the Nigerian Constitution, effectively under the control of state governments and there is no indication that the Rivers State Government invited the Nigerian Police. It is, therefore, the view of SESSPN that the police must be careful not to join the March to orchestrate a constitutional crisis that may become hydra-headed.
“The SESSPN, therefore, condemns the police siege on local government councils in Rivers as manifestly illegal, baseless, rootless, irresponsible and calls on the IGP to withdraw them immediately or face Legal actions including peaceful protests until they vacate the councils.”
It maintained that the action of the police had the effect of preventing all workers in the 23 LGAs from accessing their offices and rendering their legitimate duties.
“The 23 LGA workers are not involved in any court case and did not invite the police to protect them from those in court. The police are not parties to the cases in the courts and the courts never mandated the police to act on her behalf. The police do not have the capacity to determine when each of the court cases will end and therefore it will be unreasonable for them to close down council secretariats indefinitely,” the group stressed.
Last week, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 16, comprising Rivers and Bayelsa commands, Paul Omata, during a visit to the state, said he would visit the 23 LGAs to assess the security situation.
“My coming is a working visit. It coincided with the decoration of officers elevated from Chief Superintendent to Assistant Commissioner of Police.
“I also intend to visit the Local Government Area headquarters to see things for myself. To see the situation on the ground and see if there is any addition or subtraction we will do,” he said.
Nearly one week after the statement, he had yet to visit any of the councils.
Meanwhile, the CTC chairmen have commenced work outside their respective council areas, following the governor’s directive.
Many of them hit the ground running with the dissolution of all standing committees and task forces set up by their predecessors.
The CTC Chairman of Ohio/Akpor LGA, Chijioke Ihunwo, in a meeting with traditional rulers appealed to them to ensure that peace reigned in their domains.
Speaking while declaring open a meeting of government-approved traditional rulers in Ohio/Akpor LGA, he said for peace to be maintained in the various communities, the monarchs must work closely with him and security agencies, especially in information sharing.
He said his administration would soon unveil programmes that would improve livelihood.
“I have decided to interact with our traditional rulers because you are the custodians of the land and what we want is absolute peace in our local government.
“By the grace of God, we have a governor that has a conscience. We have a governor who means well for our people, a governor who loves Rivers people.
“Therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure we support the current administration of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
“We are also aware that most of the traditional rulers from our local government have taken sides. But as a team, we want to say that we will work together because the governor believes in unity and one love.”
On his part, the caretaker committee chairman of Ogu/Bolo LGA, Hon. Evans Bipi, said from next week, the council would provide monthly grants to households in its 12 wards.
Bipi, speaking during a familiarization visit to the Ele and Ikpama communities of Ogu/Bolo, said 30 people from each ward would benefit from the monthly empowerment scheme, which aimed to boost small-scale businesses in the area.
“We are giving people money to do business and stimulate the local economy. This government is for stomach infrastructure,” he said.
Similarly, the CTC Chairman of Opobo LGA, Eyiada Cookey-Gam, presented official cars to the six members of his committee.
Cookey-Gam, while presenting the cars at his annex office in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, urged them to make good use of the vehicles for the purpose for which they were purchased.
He also advised them to maintain a good relationship with the people and deliver democratic dividends to them.
In another development, the suspect who attempted to detonate dynamite along Aba Road, near the state-owned Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, is still being detained at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt.
Our correspondent who visited the hospital on Tuesday observed that the facility was still under security surveillance, with three police vans manned by operatives inside the facility and its precinct.