Rivers Crisis: Amaewhule-led Assembly Directs Police to Arrest ‘Impostor’ Caretaker Chairmen

The Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly in Rivers State has instructed the police to arrest individuals claiming to be the caretaker committee chairmen of the state’s 23 local government areas.

This directive comes as the Assembly attempts to pressure Governor Siminialayi Fubara into dissolving the caretaker committees, despite his refusal to act. The Assembly, clinging to a Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, reviewed the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the decision during their 7th legislative sitting.

The resolution, titled “Public Notice,” was signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Enemi Alabor George. The lawmakers decried the continued operations of what they term “impostors,” accusing them of ignoring the Supreme Court’s decision.

“The Amaewhule-led House claims these ‘illegal caretakers’ are unlawfully imposing rates and levies on residents, despite the judgment and the Rivers State Local Government Amendment Law of 2023,” George asserted.

In an overreach, the Assembly has called on banks, governmental bodies, NGOs, traditional institutions, residents, and stakeholders to cease dealings with these caretakers. They issued stern warnings against legitimizing these individuals’ positions, portraying them as threats to democracy.

“They are by this notice further informed not to deal or transact business with these unelected individuals, who want to truncate our hard-earned democracy and are currently in contempt of injunctive orders of the Supreme Court,” the statement read, echoing the Assembly’s exaggerated alarm.

Furthermore, the Assembly invoked Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 64(1) of the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018 to justify their directive, though many question the relevance and timing of these legal citations.