Rivers: IGP Directs Reopening Of Secretariats After Fubara Inaugurates LG Chieftains
The Rivers State Police Command has unsealed all 23 Local Government Area Secretariats following recent political developments in the State.
Additionally, they have withdrawn the police personnel who were previously stationed there to secure the locations.
The order was given by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and communicated by the newly appointed Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha.
This decision underscores the Police Force’s commitment to maintaining neutrality and ensuring the uninterrupted functioning of democratic institutions.
According to the directive, police personnel would only return to the LGAs in the event of a crisis or any breakdown of law and order, at which point swift measures would be taken to restore calm.
The development was after Governor Siminalayi Fubara had sworn in 23 newly elected local government chairmen in the state.
The exercise held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Sunday, comes a day after the Rivers State Independent National Electoral Commission (RSIEC) conducted an election at the grassroots.
Earlier that Sunday, RSIEC issued certificates of return to the newly elected local government chairmen.
After an exercise held amid heightened tension, the Action People’s Party (APP) won 22 chairmanship positions out of 23 in the oil-rich state.
However, the state electoral umpire suspended the declaration of results for Etche Local Government Area (LGA) because the collation is ongoing.
The RSIEC chairman, Adolphus Enebeli, who declared the result on Saturday, also said that announcement for the 319 councillorship seats will be announced alongside that of the Etche Chairmanship position when collations are concluded.
But a day after the election, RSIEC declared Uzodinma Nwafor of the Action Alliance (AA) as the winner of the election in Etche Local Government Area.