River crisis: LG chairmen dare Fubara, vow to remain in office after tenure expiration
The Rivers State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), made up of 21 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen, has expressed its support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in urging the Rivers State House of Assembly to swiftly begin impeachment proceedings against Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
Presenting their stance at a media briefing in Port Harcourt, Hon. Allwell Ihunda, the ALGON Chairman for Rivers State and Port Harcourt City LGA, criticized Governor Fubara for allegedly withholding LGA allocations illegally since April. Ihunda characterized this behavior as a display of executive recklessness and a lack of respect for democratic principles and the Rule of Law.
The failure of Governor Fubara to organize the Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting (JAAC), crucial for releasing funds to LGAs, was highlighted by Ihunda as a major issue. He described Fubara's instruction to compile salary vouchers without involving elected LGA Chairmen as an unconstitutional move to take over local governance.
Ihunda accused Fubara of trying to undermine the constitutionally established system of Local Government and urged the State House of Assembly to act swiftly to prevent the Governor's alleged overreach.
Emphasizing the critical nature of the situation, ALGON referenced an existing Federal High Court order to maintain the status quo concerning LGA allocations. They urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to step in to safeguard governance and order in Rivers State.
Furthermore, ALGON's Legal Adviser, Chief Hon. Dr. Irastus Awoto, affirmed that democratically elected Chairmen have the right to remain in office for an additional six months after their term ends, as permitted by legal provisions. Awoto criticized any attempts to forcibly remove them from office, dubbing such actions as instigating chaos.