By Ishaya Ibrahim
Hours after Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed heads of administration in the 23 local government areas to take over command at the council, Rivers youths were seen chasing out the chairmen out of the council secretariats.
In a viral video, Mayor of Port Harcourt City, Allwell Ihunda and his security aides were chased out of the secretariat by youths who stormed the place to take over the premises.
In one of the videos, the Mayor and his security details sped off in their vehicles as the youths were seen chasing them out of the secretariat.
Former Mayor of Porthacourt City Allwell Ihunda and his security took to their heels after trying to make his way illegally into the council as he was been chased away by well meaning indigenes of the Local Government.
Rivers state is fully for Sim. 🤣
— Emma ik Umeh (Tcee )🇳🇬 (@emmaikumeh) June 18, 2024
In Obio Akpor local government, which is the local government of Nyesom Wike, hundreds of youths took over the local government secretariat, warning the council chairman to steer clear.
In Emohua local government, Chidi Lloyd, the chairman of the council who is a close ally of Wike, was also shut out of the palace. The same scenario is also playing out in Eleme, Ikwerre other local council secretariat across the state.
Fubara had directed the heads of administrations of all the local governments in Rivers State to take over running of the councils pending further instructions.
He said the decision ties with the Constitution’s provision and the need to ensure peace and order in the state.
Meanwhile, two LGA chairmen announced their willingness to leave office per the state’s Local Government Law of 2018.
The chairmen are the first female council chairman of Bonny Local Government Area, Dame Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, and the Enyiada Cookeygam of Opobo/Nkoro, from Fubara’s LGA.
Both Claude-Wilcox and the Enyiada Cookeygam of Opobo/Nkoro had challenged the extension of the tenure of local government chairmen by the Martin Amaewhule-led led-assembly in court.
