The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has directed the immediate withdrawal of police personnel deployed to seal the 23 local government secretariats in Rivers State.
The directive was disclosed on Monday in a statement by Grace Iringe-Koko, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Command.
According to the statement, the order follows recent political developments in Rivers State.
The directive follows the political tension that erupted after the purported extension of tenure for former council chairmen loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike. The move was countered by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s appointment of caretaker committee (CTC) chairmen, leading the IGP to order the sealing of the secretariats.
This action prevented local government workers and the CTC chairmen from accessing the council secretariats and carrying out their daily duties.
In light of the recent order to unseal the secretariats, the statement clarified that police would only be redeployed to these locations in the event of a crisis or breakdown of law and order. “Emergency measures will be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy if necessary,” the statement added.
The Rivers State Police Command reassured the public of its commitment to maintaining peace and order and urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation evolves.
The newly sworn-in 23 council chairmen are expected to resume work in their respective LGAs today, where they will also swear in the newly elected councillors.
The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 LGAs in Saturday’s election while the Action Alliance (AA) was victorious in one LGA.
Earlier, Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, urged the newly elected LGA chairpersons in the state to emulate his approach to governance.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Fubara said there are plans to perpetrate violence against the elected officials when they resume their duties on Monday.
The Rivers governor urged the officials to be “patient and calculative”.
He admonished them to see their election as an opportunity to work for the people at the grassroots level.
“I’m aware that they are mobilising 20 people per unit to go and confront you tomorrow when you resume in your local government headquarters,” Fubara said. Please if they are coming with violence, avoid them.
“The peace of this state is too important to us. Everybody knows what they are planning but please I want to beg everyone to follow my approach.
“At the right time, you will always win if you are patient and calculative. We have made our promises to our people. We are going to lead them to the promised land.”