Amaechi dissolves 21 Rivers LGs

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, on Saturday, dissolved 21 out of the 23 local government councils in the state, just as he later in the day swore in caretaker committee members for the affected local councils. However, both Degema and Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni local government areas, where elections were recently conducted, were not affected by the dissolution. With the tenure of the 21council chairmen having expired, the governor forwarded the names of the caretaker committee members, who were expected to serve for a period of three months, to the state House of Assembly for screening. Four chairmen in the dissolved local councils were retained as members of the new caretaker committees which have seven members each across the 21 local councils. Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Honourable Dan Otelemagba Amachree, told newsmen in Port Harcourt that the state legislature had to sit on Saturday to enable lawmakers screen the caretaker committee members.