Rivers: NYCN on Solidarity March for Council Secretariats’ Barricade by Police
From MAUREEN DICK and ERIC MOORE, Port Harcourt
The National Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Rivers State Chapter, on Tuesday, staged a
solidarity march in support of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for their unbiased move in protecting the 2023 local government secretariats from “intruders” in the state.
The NYCN, who said they were opposed to the setting up of Caretaker Committee (CTC) by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stated that the presence of Police at the 23 council secretariats has forestalled break down of law and order.
In his address at the Police headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, Leader of the group, Nwisabari Bani, appealed to the Police to remain at the local government secretariats pending when the Court of Appeal will deliver judgement on the lingering local government chairmen tenure elongation.
Bani said: “I want to say that the Nigerian youths and Rivers youths are grateful for you coming to takeover our secretariats, thereby stopping invaders.
“Before the arrival of your men through your deployment, some few local governments have been invaded by the people loyal to the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.
“We were very happy when we heard him say that he is discharging and giving responsibilities to the Heads of Local Government Administrations to takeover pending the determination of the various court cases and court orders before the courts. But, to our dismay, on the 17th of this month, people were given funds meant for development to go and sit and takeover our local governments with arms.”
Bani urged the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to give the Command the needed support to restore peace in the council secretariats in the state.
He continued: “We are saying this because we want to thank the Nigeria Police Force for preventing this hoodlums from taking over our secretariats and looting them and we are saying to the Inspector General of Police that the current leadership of the Command in Rivers State is discharging their responsibilities without bias to party A or party B.
“We are calling on the IGP to at this point, give all the needed support to this Command to ensure they continue to occupy, secure and dislodge any hoodlum that wants to takeover our local government councils.”
Responding, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Tunji Disu, noted how valuable the state is to Nigerian economy and, therefore, should be protected always.
Disu assured that the Force would continue to remain apolitical, by discharging their duty professionally.
“Our duty as a Command is to protect lives and properties, and I give you my words that we are going to continue to do that.
“We are not politicians and we’ll do our best to remain apolitical. I thank you so much for all you have done and the support you have given us. And I assure you that we’ll continue to do our jobs in maintaining law and order.
“Rivers State is a very important state to the economy of our dear nation Nigeria; and, there must not be breakdown of law and order. We have taken note of all you have said here and we’ll continue to do our job.”
It would be recalled that local government secretariats in Rivers State have been occupied by Police personnel since last week, following the activities of some youths protesting the refusal of the council chairmen to vacate office upon expiration of their tenures on Monday, June 17, 2024.