Rivers LG Chairmen Approach Court, police For Protection

Local Government chairmen in Rivers State have approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services adequate security for the lives and prosperity.

In a newly filed originating summons, the LG chairmen claimed that Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara had threatened their lives.

They said Fubara had bragged that he would not carry out the recently passed Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Bill by the state Assembly.

In the suit filed through their lawyer,  Mahmud Magaji (SAN), the Rivers LG chairmen said the police and the DSS had the obligation to provide them with security going by the provisions of sections 215 of the 1999 Constitution.

The plaintiffs in the suit are Dr Chidi LLoyd, (Chairman, Emohua LGA); Alwell Ihunda (Chairman, Port Harcourt LGA); Dr Nwanosike Samuel (Chairman, Ikwerre LGA); George Ariolu (Chairman, Obio-Akpor LGA); Dr Obbinna Anyawu (Chairman, Etchi LGA); and Chidorom Nwaiwu (Chairman, Omuma LGA).

Others are Dr Hope Ikiriko (Chairman, Ahoada West LGA); Benjamin Eke (Chairman, Ahoada East LGA); and Dr Roland Sekibo (Chairman, Akuku-Toru LGA); among others.

Among other prayers, the council chairmen also prayed the court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that only the laws passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly were enforced in the state.

“Whether by virtue of the combined provisions of sections 7 and the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the local government councils in Rivers State are not constitutionally recognised and autonomous as the third tier of government and thereby entitled to allocation from the Federation Account.”

They want the court to declare that “no organ of any government has the power to withhold the financial allocations due to local governments in Rivers State.”

The defendants in the suit are the IG, Rivers Commissioner of Police; Director General of the DSS; Director, DSS Rivers, AGF, Chairman Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Rivers State Government; Rivers State Attorney General and the Commissioner of Finance in Rivers State.