The Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to arrest anyone parading himself as the Caretaker Committee Chairman or member in the state.
These lawmakers, during Monday’s plenary at the Assembly’s official residence along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, said the continued activities of the CTC put in place by the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, is a violation of the recent Supreme Court judgement, which outlaws the use of CTC’s to run the third tier of government.
The call by the pro-Wike lawmakers led by its Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, followed a remark by the House Leader, Major Jack and deliberated by members.
While describing the CTC as impostors, the lawmakers insist that they are not known to the law, expressing worry that they go about posing as local government chairmen to the extent of going to the banks to withdraw monies meant for the LG Councils for wanton squandering in the name of non-existing Caretaker committees.
This was contained in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday by the media aide to the Speaker, Martins Wachukwu, and sent to newsmen.
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.
He urged the police and other security agencies to swing into action and arrest the impostors to avoid the breakdown of law and order in the State.
The statement also quoted Amaewhule as saying that “the Tenth Rivers State House of Assembly in accordance with the provisions of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as altered, only democratically elected officials are to manage the Local Government Councils.”
The statement added that Section 64(1) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018, further empowers the House to give the directive that only democratically elected officials should pilot the affairs of the Councils.
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’.