Crisis in Rivers LG: Police ask NULGE to suspend planned protest

The Rivers Police have asked the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) to suspend their planned protest.

On Saturday, Clifford Paul, president of NULGE in Rivers, gave the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun an ultimatum within four days to order officers to vacate the 23 LG secretariats in the state.

Rivers is embroiled in a political crisis involving the tenure of local government chairmen.

The 23 LG secretariats were barricaded by the police.

Paul had said that the police siege of LG headquarters had prevented NULGE members from accessing their offices.

Grace Iringe-Koko, police spokeswoman in Rivers, said in a statement released on Sunday evening that the command had received information about a possible hijacking of the protest rally.

“Police leadership respects the right to lawful assembly but has received credible intelligence indicating a possible infiltration of the planned protests on Monday,” the statement said.

“Gangsters are planning to hijack the protests and create chaos in the state.

“Consequently, the command advises the organizers to cancel the planned protest in order to avert a possible breakdown of law and order.”

Iringe-Koko, a police commissioner, said Officials have been deployed to the Council secretariats to “maintain security until the danger of disruption has passed”.

THE RIVERS LGA CRISIS

Last week, Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, asked Local government leaders are expected to immediately assume control of the state’s 23 council districts.

This happened after the end of the three-year term of office of the Council President.

Despite the governor’s directive, some of the former LGA chairmen reportedly tried to resume their duties at the council secretariat but were chased away by youths.

The development heightened political tensions in Rivers as residents protested at some LGA secretariats in the state.

Police fired several shots to disperse protesters in front of the various LGA headquarters.

Then Fubara sworn in new chairmen of the transition committees in the 23 LGAs.

In April, the Rivers Assembly passed the Local Government Amendment Bill despite Fubara’s refusal to consent.

The amendment empowers the legislature to extend the term of office of elected chairpersons of LGAs and city councils if it is deemed impracticable to hold elections before the expiration of their three-year term.

The Rivers Assembly said the amendment was to ensure that elections were held before the expiry of the term of office of the LGA (Law Administration) chairperson.

Fubara refused to approve the bill, but the Assembly vetoed it.

However, a court ruling overturned the amendment to the municipal law.

The judgment has been appealed and a decision by the Court of Appeal in this case is still pending.

The 27 members of the House of Representatives had declared that they would resist attempts by Fubara to appoint interim chairmen in the LGAs.