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Emma Sunday, Port Harcourt
No fewer than five persons have been reportedly killed, many injured, with three local government secretariats burnt down on Monday by suspected thugs, in the political crisis rocking Rivers State.
Our correspondent reports that aside the 3 secretariats of Eleme, Emohua and Ikwerre local government areas that were burnt down, council headquarters of, Khana, Ahoada East, Etche, Oyigbo, Obio/Akpor and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGAs were heavily attacked with gunmen shooting sporadically.
While many sustained degrees of injuries, 2 persons were said to have been shot dead in Khana and Ahoada East LGAs, while a viral video on social media shows that 3 persons were allegedly killed in Oyigbo local government area.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara had, while swearing-in 23 local government Chairmen elected during last Saturday raised the alarm that supporters of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike are mobilizing 20 person per unit to attack council secretariats on Monday.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka while leading a protest against the conduct of the October 5 LGA elections, threatened that they would cause mayhem in the state and that if there would be peace in the state, the Rivers State Government and the State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, must obey the September 30 Federal High Court judgment and stop the election process.
But the RSIEC eventually went ahead with the election, which despite going smoothly, the state also recorded two dynamite explosion at the Tony Okocha-led APC secretariat and another facility close to the Obio/Akpor local government secretariat.
On Monday, Drama started few hours after the Nigerian Police Force announced the lifting of the over three months siege on all 23 LGA Secretariats in the State, on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, after the October 5 council polls and subsequent swearing-in of new Chairmen by the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara the next day.
Daily Champion gathered that scores of youths suspected to be supporters of the FCT Minister barricaded the gates of Emohua Council chanting “No Wike, No Rivers State, while gunshots were heard renting the air.
The case was not different in Ahoada East, Khana, Oyigbo and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni LGAs as youths in their numbers destroyed properties at the facilities.
There was also an initial report that some youths had attempted to barricade the Port Harcourt City LGA secretariat earlier on Monday, when the Chairman, Ezebunwo Ichemati and his entourage tried to access the council secretariat. The crisis was however, foiled when the men sighted the chairmen, councillors and supporters arriving at the council.
In Ikwerre LGA, Barr. Okachi Ordu, the Chief of Staff to former Chairman of the Council, Engr. Samuel Nwanosike has accused the new LGA Chairman, Hon. Israel Abosi and his supporters of burning of burning the council secretariat.
Ordu told newsmen that trouble started when they went to the council to resume work after police vacated the council, but they were allegedly attacked by the other group with arms.
He called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation on the burning of the council secretariat.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has admonished Rivers people to carry out their political business with all sense of responsibility.
He has also stated that the business of politics should not degenerate to the level of killings and destruction of government facilities built with tax payers’ money.
Governor Fubara made the assertion when he visited the Ikwerre Local Government Council Secretariat, Isiokpo, to see for himself the level of damage after the council was set ablaze by political thugs suspected to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and also assess the impact of the damage caused.
The Governor visited the scene of the incident upon arrival from Akwa Ibom State where he joined other South-South Governors and members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to sympathize with Governor Umo Eno on the demise of his wife, Pastor Mrs Patience Umo Eno.
He expressed sadness over the incident at the council, questioning the rationale why the Secretariat built by the immediate past chairman of the council that would serve as a legacy project is being destroyed because of politics.
He said, “I am just coming in from Akwa Ibom where the Governors of the South-South and also the Nigerian Governors’ Forum went to pay a condolence to our brother, the Governor of Akwa Ibom, who lost his wife. So, I said it will be proper to come and see for myself the incident that took place in Ikwerre Local Government Council Secretariat.
“I feel very sad seeing what has just happened in this Council. I want to say this to the entire Rivers State: If you are called upon, play your politics with a sense of responsibility. We don’t need to kill ourselves. My time will come, and I will leave; do I need to burn the Government House?
“This Council Secretariat was built by the immediate past chairman, and for me, we know the history of this council, how he sought for fund, and how it was executed. This is supposed to be a legacy project for him that whoever that is going to come after now will continue to remember that at a certain time, certain persons built this for the LGA. But, look at what we are seeing here today. Must we go low in politics?”
Governor Fubara, who recalled the conduct of the just-concluded council polls, the swearing-in of Council Chairmen and expected assumption of office today (Monday) despite earlier boast and threats not to allow the Chairmen access the various Secretariats, expressed disappointment that sponsored agents and enemies of the State used the opportunity of the withdrawal of police by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, to unlease terror on the councils.
The Governor expressed dismay that funds that would have been deployed to develop the councils will now be used to rehabilitate the councils to the detriment of the people, advising Rivers people to always act responsibly in all they do, irrespective of the level of provocation.
He said, “There was an election on Saturday, the new Council Chairmen were inaugurated yesterday (Sunday). We are aware of the boasting that they would not be allowed to access the secretariats. And we were happy in the early hours of this morning when the Inspector General of Police (IGP) directed his men to vacate the premises for easy access for the newly elected officers to resume office; and immediately, they took advantage of that space to destroy government facilities.
“Who is the loser? The new Council Chairmen that are coming in, the funds that would be applied to other things would now be used to fix this place. Are we not really acting as irresponsible people? This is an act of responsibility! Even if one advices you to go and destroy a government facility, are you not supposed to think twice?
“We all know where this is coming from, that is the truth. Everybody knows that this is not from my supporters. But, I leave all to the security agencies to do a thorough work, and let us know the people that are behind this assault” on the institutions of democracy, he added.
