Rivers Crisis: Pro-Wike Forces Shopping For Court Order To Seize Local Councils Funds – G-60 Federal Lawmakers Warn Judges

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

A group of 60 Federal Lawmakers led by Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere has raised the alarm that some forces working for the Pro-Nyesom Wike former Local Council Chairmen in Rivers State are harbouring plans to halt the operations of Council Areas in the State.

It alleged that the forces are currently shopping for a pliable Judge to assist them with a Court order to freeze the accounts of all the 23 Local Councils of Rivers State.

The Pro-wike former Council Chairmen were on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, forced to vacate their offices after failing to have their expired three years tenure elongated by the Speaker Martins Amaewfule-led  pro-Wike Legislators.

The pro-Wike Lawmakers are themselves battling legitimacy problem at the Court, after their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara had on Tuesday June 19 ,gone ahead to appoint and swear in Caretaker Executives for the Councils.

But Police occupation of the administrative headquarters has since ensured they operate from different locations.

The Police has said the occupation will only end after the verdict of an Appeal court sitting in PortHarcout in an Appeal filed by 27 pro-Wike legislators seeking to reverse the declaration of their seats vacant by a Rivers State High Court on account of their defection to the APC.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 26 , the G-60 Federal law makers Spokesperson, Hon. Ugochinyere called on Judicial Officers to be on alert, to avoid being used to issue ex parte order to halt the operations of Local Councils in Rivers State.

“We received credible intelligence that some of the former Local Council Chairmen that their tenure expired in Rivers State and their financiers are looking for a Federal High Court to give them an injunction that will freeze the allocation of the  Local Governments because of their failed attempt to hang on to power after their tenure expired.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and Judges of the State High court (you never can tell,they can go to Zamfara or Ogoja or anywhere.)

“I want to call on them ( Judges) to be very careful and put their divisions on alert, so that they won’t be used to issue ex parte orders to people who are no longed elected Local Government Chairmen.

“There is nothing like tenure extension in a democratic setting. It is like a coup, taking over constitutional government.

“So we want to alert the general public that there are moves to secure ex parte order by these former Local Government Chairmen that their tenure has expired to seize the allocations of the Local Governments that workers and development in rural areas will suffer” the G-60 Lawmakers warned.