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ITODE AKARI
Tension boiled over in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State on Tuesday following an alleged physical attack on the council chairman, Hon. Onengiyeofori George, by councillors loyal to the leader of the Local Government Legislative Assembly, Hon. Ibifiri.
What began as a disagreement between the chairman and the legislative leader reportedly degenerated into a heated exchange that escalated into a confrontation.
While the exact cause of the dispute remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, multiple sources said the situation quickly spiralled out of control.
It was gathered that the councillors allegedly took sides with the legislative leader and, in a dramatic turn of events, descended on the chairman in what witnesses described as an unprecedented show of force within the council.
A video that has since gone viral on social media appears to show a man identified as the chairman fleeing from a group of angry councillors as bystanders screamed in shock.
The footage has triggered widespread condemnation and renewed concern over the growing spate of political violence in the state.
The incident adds to the mounting political tension in Rivers State, which has persisted since the fallout between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his former ally, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, following the 2023 political crisis.
Meanwhile, a concerned Etche Stakeholder Raises Alarm Over Alleged Financial Mismanagement in LGA
Barr. Godswill Ukachukwu Onyegbu, a concerned stakeholder in Etche Local Government Area, has raised serious concerns over alleged financial improprieties under the current council administration, calling for immediate public accountability.
Onyegbu noted that Etche LGA receives between ₦800 million and ₦1 billion in monthly allocations. Despite this, he alleged that the council chairman has borrowed over ₦2 billion in less than five months in office.
He questioned the justification for the loans, how the funds have been utilized, and the repayment plan, warning that any financial decisions likely to plunge the LGA into long-term debt must be resisted in the interest of residents.
Onyegbu urged the chairman, Hon. Chima Njoku to address the allegations and called on well-meaning Etche sons and daughters to speak out against any actions that could hinder the council’s development, stressing that the LGA is a collective heritage whose future must be protected.
Onyegbu said, “I’ve been quiet for a while not because I didn’t have anything to say, but because I was sincerely hoping that the issues so far raised by other concerned Etche sons and daughters would be urgently addressed.
“Etche LGA receives a monthly allocation of 800 million to 1 billion naira. While I believe that more can be done to better the socio-economic realities of the LGA and its people, we decry any act of financial impropriety that will plunge us into generational debt.
“The Chairman needs to explain to the people his basis for borrowing over 2 billion naira in less than five (5) months of being in office, how those funds were utilized, and the modalities set to ensure that the loan is paid back without endangering the economic welfare of thousands of Etche people,” he added.
