A faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly has called on the police to arrest the caretaker committee chairmen of the 23 local government areas in the state.
It should be recalled that Governor Siminialayi Fubara in June appointed the caretaker chairmen following the expiration of the tenure of elected local government officials.
However, the factional lawmakers, who are loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, have demanded the arrest of the appointed individuals.
This directive follows the refusal of Governor Fubara to dissolve the caretaker committees, despite a Supreme Court judgment granting autonomy to local government councils.
During their 7th legislative sitting, the lawmakers reviewed the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgment and passed a resolution titled “Public Notice”.
The resolution, signed by Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabor George, condemned the actions of “impostors” who continue to impose rates and levies on residents, despite the court’s ruling.
The Assembly observed that these “illegal caretakers” are in flagrant disobedience to the Supreme Court judgment and the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government Amendment Law of 2023. The lawmakers urged banks, government agencies, NGOs, traditional institutions, and residents to stop doing business with these “unelected individuals”.
The House directed the police and other law-enforcement agencies to commence the arrest of these impostors, citing Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 64(1) of Rivers State Local Government Law number 5 of 2018, which empower the Assembly to give directives on the matter.
