Empowering Amaechi’s foot soldiers for 2015

Ahead of 2015, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi is providing ground for a possible handover to his new party, but would the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is laying claim to the state, allow the pendulum to swing? Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi appears not to be leaving anything to chance towards securing victory for his new party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State come 2015. The Governor braced all odds last week when he dissolved 21 out of 23 local government councils in the state, leaving Degema and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni. The two local government areas were not affected in the dissolution because elections were held in the areas recently. Although the three-year tenure of the councilchairmen expired on May 31st,2014, but the manner in which the councils were dissolved by the Governor leaves so many questions unanswered. Before the dissolution of the councils last week, the Governor has met with the chairmen and informed them of his intended action. Weekly Trust gathered that the Governor during the meeting,reached an agreement with them on how to secure their political future in the state. Part of the agreement,Weekly Trust gathered from the meeting, was that those who intend to re-contest for the chairmanship position should not be part of the new caretaker committee that was constituted by the Governor. But they were permitted to nominate those who would serve in the caretaker committees. Four local chairman-Flag Amaechree of Asari Torlu, Demue Demue of Gokana, Odum of Abua/Odua and Ejoor Ngofa of ElemeLocal Government Areas opted not to re-contest in the next election and were appointed as chairmen of their respective Councils’ caretaker committees. The Governor shortly after the dissolution of the councils on Saturday, constituted seven-man caretakers committees across the 21 local government areas. The names of the committee members were immediately forwarded to the State House of Assembly which reconvened on Saturday to screen the caretakers’ committee members. The screening which started as early as 6.00am lasted into the night. The Speaker of the Assembly Dan Otelemagba Amachree said the sitting of the Assembly on Saturday was in pursuant to Order 4 ,Rule 4[1] and Order 5 Rule 1 of the House rule. He said the Assembly had to sit on Saturday to enable lawmakers screen the local government caretaker committee members. “You are aware that their tenure had expired. So, we have to reconvene on Saturday to screen the caretaker nominees,’’ he said. Seventeen out of 32 members of the Assembly participated in the screening. While the screening was going on, the Governor was already seated at the State Executive Chambers waiting for the screening to be over as to inaugurate the care taker committee members. The committee members were inaugurated at a very odd hour on Saturday and mandated to assume office on Monday and also screen other members of the committees. On Monday, the 21 localgovernment areas inaugurated their respective caretaker committee members and at the same time appointed principal officers of the councils. While the inauguration was going on, Governor Amaechi who was on his way to Switzerland to receive the United Nations award on education was busy calling the respective local Councils officials to find out how they were faring in the inauguration. The Chief of Staff to the Governor Tony Okocha who presided over the inauguration of Obio Akpor local Government Council caretaker committee members attested to this when he told those present at the event that the Governor has just called to find out if the care taker committee has been inaugurated. The various caretaker committees were given a definite instruction to mobilize their respective councils for APC in the state. Theinauguration of Obio Akpor local Government Council caretaker committee had a dramatic twist as the newly appointed caretaker committee Chairman Dr. Lawrence Chuku ordered that the doors of the secretariat offices be broken to enable him gain entrance. The Supervising Minster of Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike hails from Obio Akpor where he headed the council for two tenures. The Council had for some time served as a battle ground where Wike and Amaechi had tested their political strength in the state. Wike had installed Timothy Nsirim as the Council Chairman. Nsirim was later removed by the Governor through the instrumentality of the State Assembly over allegation of fraud. The sacked Council chairman secured a Port Harcourt High Court injunction which restrained Amaechi from removing him from office. Nsirim had continued to occupy the secretariat until the last week dissolution of the councils in the state. But despite the dissolution of the councils, Nsirim had refused to vacate the office. Shortly after the inauguration, Chuku accompanied by some of his officers, went to the secretariat in Rumuodomaya, headquarters of the Council and ordered that the offices which were under lock and key to be broken down. The former council chairman, Timothy Nsirim, it was alleged locked up the offices and left with keys on hearing news of the appointment of new caretaker committee. Already the various council caretaker committees have taken charge of their respective Councils and have also started the implementing the directive given to them by the Governor to mobilize their respective Councils for the APC. The caretaker committee chairman of Akuku Torlu local government council was quoted as saying that the APC would win all the elections from ward level to presidential elections in his council. The appointment of the caretaker committee members expectedly has continued to elicit angry reaction in the state. The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state said the appointment of the caretaker committees is illegal, describing the action as unconstitutional, the party in a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on Media to the State Chairman of the party, Felix Obuah said the only rationale for Amaechi’s choice of a CTC over outright Council election is the fear of losing to the PDP, knowing full well that Rivers State is basically a PDP state. The party queries the essence of setting up and sustaining the state electoral body when it cannot be allowed to perform its statutory function. The party said it was not enough to sack the Council Chairmen, but should be made to give account of how they spent the huge resources allocated to them in the past three years for development without any visible evidence of the expected investments in any Council. The party also alleged the financial donations and illegal contributions by the Council Chairman to Governor Amaechi’s wife purportedly to aid her pet project. The party called on the Governor to initiate probe into all the allegations of misappropriation of the Council funds against the out gone Council Chairmen. The party, however, called on Rivers people to remain calm in what it described as “deliberate provocation and denial of their inalienable right of choosing their own leaders.” Similarly the lawmaker representing Ogu/Bolo constituency in the State Assembly Evans Bipi condemned the appointment of the caretaker committees by the Governor. He said instead of the appointment of caretaker committees, Governor Amaechi should have directed the Council Chairmen to hand over to their respective head of administration pending when a fresh election would be conducted to elect new Council officials. He said the appointment of caretaker committees was aimed at siphoning Councils revenue to fund the APC in preparation for 2015 elections.