Tension mounts in Rivers as lg boss, deputy vow not to obey dissolution order A major political and security breach is now brewing in the Obio/Akpor council area of Rivers State over the dissolution of the council by the state government as the chairman of the council vows not to vacate office. The state government, in a statement issued and signed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), George Feyii, had announced the dissolution of the council, directing the Timothy Nsirim-led executive to hand over to the Head of Personnel Management of the council. But Nsirim, his deputy, Solomon Eke and the 17 councillors of the council area resumed duties at the council secretariat on Friday, vowing not to obey the dissolution order, noting that the action of the state government was in violation of a Rivers State High Court, presided over by Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra , which ordered the state governor not to interfere in the affairs of Obio/ Akpor council. Meanwhile, the state government has insisted that it was not in error to excercise one of its statutory functions, insisting that the council remained dissolved. But speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, the state’s Attorney-Genera l and Commissioner for Justice, Wogu Boms, said the judgment by Iyayi-Lamikanra did not stop Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi from dissolving Obio/Akpor council. But explaining why the dissolved council would not vacate office, vice chairman, Eke, said the actions of the state government would remain void as it violated the judgment, which ordered the state governor to refrain from interfering with the affairs of the council area. According to Boms, the judgment by Iyayi-Lamikanra did not declare any section of the Rivers State Local Government Law 2012, as regards the responsibilitie s of the governor invalid. “There is nowhere in the 25- page judgment of my lord, Hon. Justice Iyayi-Lamikanra where any of the sections of the Rivers State Local Government Law No 2 of 2012 was declared invalid. “The suit brought before Justice Iyayi-Lamikanra , which led to the November 25, 2013, has nothing to do with the dissolution of the Obio/ Akpor local government council. What the governor did was not derived from the judgement of Justice Iyayi-Lamikanra, but from the provision of the Rivers State Local Government Law No2 of 2012”, Boms said. “Rivers state is not his father’s company, he does not have any say as far as Obio/Akpor is concerned until he gets the court to vacate its order. The court has told him to hands off Obio/Akpor until the elected officers complete their three year tenure. He should respect the court judgement. “If he does not obey the court, we cannot obey whatever directives or order he gives. Whatever order he gives on Obio/Akpor will be flouted by us”, Eke said.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:43:17 +0000
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