The political proxy battle between Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, southsouth Nigeria, and President Goodluck Jonathan took a turn for the worse Monday.
This followed the sacking of the loyalists of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Nyesom Wike, who is Jonathan’s ‘boy’ fighting Governor Amaechi.
The sacked loyalists are the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Prince Timothy Nsirim, the Vice-Chairman and all the 17 Councillors of the local government loyal to Wike.
They were thrown out of office Monday by the State House of Assembly for allegations of breach of security and reckless spending of public funds.
The accounts of the council were subsequently frozen to pave way for the on-going investigation into the allegations made against the councillors as contained in a petition by some stakeholders of the council area.
Relying on Section 64(1) of the Rivers State Local Government Law, No 2 of 2012, that empowers the Rivers Assembly to inquire into the running of any local government council, the House said the chairman and councillors remain suspended pending when the house committee concludes investigation against the council.
The sacking of the council is sequel to the interim report of the House Committee on Local Government led by Lucky Odili representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Constituency and seven others.
The State House of Assembly has therefore directed the Rivers State Government to appoint a caretaker committee to run the council in line with Section 64(4) of the Rivers state Government Law.
The suspension of the Obio/Akpor Local Government councillors, who are incidentally from Wike’s council area in the state, is a fallout of the political crossfire between Governor Amaechi and Wike in the state over the control of the political soul of the state. Wike is said to be fighting a proxy war on behalf of his principal in Aso Rock.
Just as the State Assembly was sacking the Obio/Akpor Local Council, at the adjoinning Conference Hall of the State House of Assembly, thousands of Rivers women dressed in all black attire were in prayer session seeking divine intervention to ensure justice is done in the current political battle in the state.
Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, Commissioner for Information and Communication explained that the women were simply obeying the biblical injunction that when there is injustice in the land, women should cry to God in prayers.
She said that whenever the children of Israel experienced injustice they wore sackcloth and put ashes on their heads signifying mourning and crying to God for intervention.
In her comment, Mrs. Joeba West, Commissioner for Women Affairs, said the prayer session whereby Rivers women were dressed in all black to seek divine intervention was the first of its kind in the state.
During the prayer session some clergymen such as Apostle Eugene Ogu, Bishop of Abundant Life Ministries ministered and prayed for peace to reign in the state. He also asked God to ensure that justice reigned in the state and arrest those who want to throw the state into crisis to truncate the mandate of Governor Amaechi. The Rivers State branch of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has condemned the sacking of Obio/Akpor Council by the Rivers Assembly, describing the action as illegal.
Meanwhile, Felix Obuah, the factional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in the state loyal to Wike has advised the sacked local government chairman, 17 councillors and Obio/Akpor people to remain calm and be law abiding as the sack will be challenged in court.
This followed the sacking of the loyalists of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Nyesom Wike, who is Jonathan’s ‘boy’ fighting Governor Amaechi.
The sacked loyalists are the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Prince Timothy Nsirim, the Vice-Chairman and all the 17 Councillors of the local government loyal to Wike.
They were thrown out of office Monday by the State House of Assembly for allegations of breach of security and reckless spending of public funds.
The accounts of the council were subsequently frozen to pave way for the on-going investigation into the allegations made against the councillors as contained in a petition by some stakeholders of the council area.
Relying on Section 64(1) of the Rivers State Local Government Law, No 2 of 2012, that empowers the Rivers Assembly to inquire into the running of any local government council, the House said the chairman and councillors remain suspended pending when the house committee concludes investigation against the council.
The sacking of the council is sequel to the interim report of the House Committee on Local Government led by Lucky Odili representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Constituency and seven others.
The State House of Assembly has therefore directed the Rivers State Government to appoint a caretaker committee to run the council in line with Section 64(4) of the Rivers state Government Law.
The suspension of the Obio/Akpor Local Government councillors, who are incidentally from Wike’s council area in the state, is a fallout of the political crossfire between Governor Amaechi and Wike in the state over the control of the political soul of the state. Wike is said to be fighting a proxy war on behalf of his principal in Aso Rock.
Just as the State Assembly was sacking the Obio/Akpor Local Council, at the adjoinning Conference Hall of the State House of Assembly, thousands of Rivers women dressed in all black attire were in prayer session seeking divine intervention to ensure justice is done in the current political battle in the state.
Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, Commissioner for Information and Communication explained that the women were simply obeying the biblical injunction that when there is injustice in the land, women should cry to God in prayers.
She said that whenever the children of Israel experienced injustice they wore sackcloth and put ashes on their heads signifying mourning and crying to God for intervention.
In her comment, Mrs. Joeba West, Commissioner for Women Affairs, said the prayer session whereby Rivers women were dressed in all black to seek divine intervention was the first of its kind in the state.
During the prayer session some clergymen such as Apostle Eugene Ogu, Bishop of Abundant Life Ministries ministered and prayed for peace to reign in the state. He also asked God to ensure that justice reigned in the state and arrest those who want to throw the state into crisis to truncate the mandate of Governor Amaechi. The Rivers State branch of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has condemned the sacking of Obio/Akpor Council by the Rivers Assembly, describing the action as illegal.
Meanwhile, Felix Obuah, the factional Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in the state loyal to Wike has advised the sacked local government chairman, 17 councillors and Obio/Akpor people to remain calm and be law abiding as the sack will be challenged in court.
