Take down the chairs and members of Fubara's CTC, Pro-Wike politicians advise cops

The Nigeria Police Force has been urged to detain anyone posing as the state’s Caretaker Committee Chairman or member by the Rivers State House of Assembly, which is loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike.

During Monday’s plenary session at the Assembly’s official residence on Aba Road in Port Harcourt, these lawmakers stated that the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, had established the CTC, and that this CTC’s ongoing operations are in violation of the recent Supreme Court ruling that forbids the use of CTCs to manage the third tier of government.

The pro-Wike MPs, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, made the decision after House Leader Major Jack made a statement that was discussed by the members.

The lawmakers refer to the CTC as imposters, but they maintain that they are not legally recognized. They are concerned that the CTC may even go so far as to go to the banks and pretend to be local government chairmen in order to take money intended for the LG Councils and spend it carelessly in the name of nonexistent Caretaker committees.

This was said in a statement that Speaker Martins Wachukwu’s media assistant forwarded to reporters on Monday in Port Harcourt.

The statement reads, “The Rivers State House of Assembly, at its 7th Legislative Sitting of the Second Session of the Tenth Assembly, Monday, deliberated on a statement by the House Leader, Hon. Major Jack, wherein he drew the attention of the House to the illegal activities of some persons in the State, masquerading as Chairmen and members of Caretaker Committees.

“These individuals go about imposing and collecting fees, levies and rates from unsuspecting members of the public, in breach of the recent Supreme Court judgement, and the provisions of the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment)Law, 2023 that prohibit Caretaker Committees in whatever guise or nomenclature.”

Debating on the statement by the House Leader, the lawmakers condemned and berated those they described as ‘impostors, and warned all banks, traditional rulers, government at all levels, non-governmental organizations and those doing business in Rivers State not to transact any business with unelected individuals parading as Caretaker Chairmen, as they are threats to the fragile peace in the State.’

Amaewhule averred that more worrisome is the fact that ‘these individuals not known to the law go to the banks and withdraw money meant for the Local Government Councils’ for wanton squandering in the name of non-existing Caretaker committees.

In order to prevent the collapse of law and order in the State, he called on the police and other security services to act quickly and apprehend the imposters.

Amaewhule was also mentioned in the statement as stating that “only democratically elected officials are to manage the Local Government Councils in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered,” which was made by the Tenth Rivers State House of Assembly.

The statement further stated that the House has the additional authority to order that only democratically elected persons lead the Councils’ operations under Section 64(1) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018.

Reiterating the position of the House, the Speaker stated that the House would not fold its arms and condone the ‘crass disregard to the laws of the State and the judgement of the Supreme Court of the land by some impostors’.

The pro-Wike MPs, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, made the decision after House Leader Major Jack made a statement that was discussed by the members.

This was said in a statement that Speaker Martins Wachukwu’s media assistant forwarded to reporters on Monday in Port Harcourt.

In order to prevent the collapse of law and order in the State, he called on the police and other security services to act quickly and apprehend the imposters.