By Jimitota Onoyume
Port Harcourt— Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, yesterday, constituted a seven- man caretaker committee to run the affairs of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
It will be recalled that the council’s cabinet was suspended on Monday by the state House of Assembly.
At the swearing-in ceremony at Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr George Feyii, charged the Caretaker Committee members to be alive to their responsibility, adding that they should render qualitative service to the people.
Meantime, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state has condemned the suspension of the elected officials of Obio Akpor council by the state House of Assembly, describing it as an abuse of legislative process.
A statement by Chairman of the party, Mr Felix Obuah, and his Secretary, Prince Ibibia Walter, gave the House a 48-hour ultimatum to reverse the suspension.
The party said it would not hesitate to take disciplinary and legal actions against the governor and some members of the Assembly.
Appealing for calm from members of the party in the state, the party alleged plans to sack five members of the House for allegedly expressing their views on issues bordering on internal democracy.
It said: “PDP in Rivers State, at an emergency State Working Committee meeting of the party, deliberated on the purported dissolution of Obio/ Akpor council by the Rivers State House of Assembly and Governor Amaechi and resolved as follows: That the purported sack of the chairman, the vice and 17 councillors of Obio Akpor council without recourse to due process, is a flagrant display and abuse of power by the governor and the state Assembly and hereby condemn the action in its entirety.
“That it is appalling and disgraceful for Rivers House of Assembly and Governor Amaechi to trample upon the mandate of the good people of Obio/Akpor on the basis of political victimisation.
“That the party, hereby, calls on the House to take appropriate steps to review its decision within 48 hours with a view to reinstating the sacked chairman, vice chairman and 17 councillors of Obio Aklor council in the interest of justice otherwise, the party may be constrained to take appropriate disciplinary and legal actions to check the excesses of the House.”
Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.