After a disagreement between the immediate past local government chairmen and the Caretaker Committee Chairmen loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the secretariat was sealed in June.
After the election and swearing-in of new chairmen, the Rivers State Police Command has opened all 23 Local Government Area Secretariats in the state.
After Fubara Swears In The APP Chieftains, The IGP Orders The LGA Secretariats To Be Unsealed.
The Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, verified this earlier on Monday morning in a statement.She said that the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, had given the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala, orders directing the immediate withdrawal of all police officers who had been stationed to secure and seal the state’s council secretariats.After a disagreement between the previous local government chairmen, who supported Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the Caretaker Committee Chairmen, who supported Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the secretariat was sealed in June.
The event occurred following the state’s 23 newly elected local government chairmen being sworn in by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.The Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission (RSIEC) held a grassroots election the day before the exercise, which was held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The police have ordered the LGA secretaries to be unsealed and the personnel who have been laid off to be called back immediately.
The newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha, hereby communicates the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM) directives for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel who were previously deployed to seal and protect the Local Government Secretariats in the state, in light of the recent political developments in Rivers State. This choice is consistent with the Nigeria Police Force’s dedication to maintaining impartiality and the seamless operation of democratic institutions.As a result, after they had been guarded by police, the Local Government Secretariats must now be opened, per the IGP’s order. Only in the event of a crisis or a breakdown in law and order will the police be redeployed to these locations; in that case, emergency measures will be put in place right away to bring things back to normal.
A file photo of IGP Kayode Egbetokun
The Rivers State Police Command promises the people that it will always act with professionalism while carrying out its responsibilities and that it is prepared to uphold law and order throughout the state. As things change, we implore all locals and interested parties to maintain composure and follow the law.
GRACE IRINGE-KOKO (ANIPR),POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,RIVERS STATE POLICE COMMAND.FOR: THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICEOCTOBER 7, 2024