WikeRI
A civil society group has petitioned the Rivers State House of Assembly calling for the removal of all the Local Government Chairmen in the State.
The group, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, in a statement signed by its Rivers State Chairman, Sotonye George, charged the State Assembly to empower the state Governor, Nyesom Wike to dissolve the newly elected Chairmen and their Councillors.
CLO accused the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi-led government of going against a purported court order by holding the elections.
The group also called on the State House of Assembly to investigate an alleged N4.5 billion spent on the Local council elections.
The CLO further noted that the move by the elected Chairmen to get an injunction to stop Wike from disolving them was an abuse of court process.
According to the statement, the “Civil Liberties Organization has petitioned the Rivers State House of Assembly calling on it to immediately take necessary legislative actions and resolutions to dissolve the Local Government Chairmen and their Councilors who are illegally occupying office as they are unknown to law giving that their purported elections were null and void ab initio by a subsisting order of court.
“Thus: When a court gives an order or when a matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction, parties are automatically bound to stay away automatically from the RES or Subject matter so as not to commit contempt or foist a fait accompli on the court knowing that the subject matter immediately comes under the custody of the Court.
“Therefore, anything done contrary to the order of Court becomes an affront on the Court and a nullity.
“Therefore, we have charged the House that they are duty bound to resolve that the Governor should quickly dissolve the Illegal Chairmen and their Councilors and immediately constitute Caretaker Committees for the affected Local Government areas pending when the state can conduct proper Local Government Elections so as not to be caught in the web of laches and acquisance as ‘delay defeats equity’.
“It is the position of the Civil Liberties Organization that the House must probe RSIEC and investigate the spending of this 4.5 billion Naira outrageous sum for an illegal venture called L.G.A elections on May 23, 2015 even when workers in the state were not paid their salaries for several months.
“Remember, the suit by the self acclaimed Local Government chairmen seeking to retrain their dissolution is a clear abuse of Court process giving that the same matter is in a sister Court, which granted an order, which they now seek to validate and benefit from as it is clear that they may have been purportedly elected but in all ramifications not in any way duly elected.
“Therefore, they do not exist. Thus this intervention cannot be viewed as subjudice but lawful, legal and necessary.
“We also call on the relevant security agencies to investigate those making statements capable of causing breakdown of law/order and cause anarchy in the state on this matter”.
In the meantime, the Rivers state House of Assembly has summoned the leadership of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC.
In a statement obtained by DAILY POST signed by the Clerk of the House, Emmanuel Egele, the Assembly wants the Chairman of RSIEC, Professor Augustin Ahiaozu and other Commissioners to appear before its members for questioning.
The Assembly also advised the members of the commission to come along with relevant documents for clarification on the just concluded Local government elections.
The Rivers State House of Assembly will hold its third session today, Monday 8th, 2015 where the top members of the RSIEC are expected to appear.
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