Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, has inaugurated a seven-member panel to investigate the recent killings and destruction of property at local government secretariats in the state.
The panel was inaugurated on Tuesday,
October 8, at the executive chamber of the Government House in Port Harcourt.
Governor Fubara, addressing the
panel, vowed that his administration would not allow “ill-guided youths and
sponsored political thugs” to turn Rivers into a hub of violence without facing
consequences. He tasked the panel with uncovering the root causes of the
violence and identifying those responsible for the attacks on the secretariats.
“So, I have decided to take this
action to find out the immediate and remote causes of this arson,” Fubara said.
“Most importantly, no matter the personalities involved, we must bring them to
book.”
The governor underscored the
importance of the panel’s work, stating that a proper investigation would
prevent future violence. “If we are right, it is going to be the end of further
destruction of public property in the state,” he said. He also acknowledged the
challenges the panel may face, including potential threats, but urged them to
remain strong.
The panel, chaired by Judge Ibiwengi
Roseline Minakiri, includes six other members: Inyingi Brown (secretary), Uzor
Ikenga (counsellor), Felicia Nwoke, Blessing Didia, Samuel Egbe, and Venerable
Alex Usifor. They are expected to submit their report within one month.
The panel's inauguration follows a
spate of violence on Monday, during which hoodlums set fire to sections of
three LGA secretariats in Emohua, Eleme, and Ikwerre, reportedly killing five
people in an attempt to prevent elected officials from resuming their duties.
This violence comes in the wake of
the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) elections, held on
Saturday, October 5, which filled 23 chairmanships and 319 councillorship
seats. The Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 of the LGAs, while the Action
Alliance (AA) secured one.
The LGA elections were marked by
controversy, with conflicting court orders and resistance from the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Despite a
federal high court ruling in Abuja barring security agencies from providing support
for the election, Governor Fubara pressed ahead with the vote.
The panel’s findings are expected to
address both the violence and the legal controversies that have surrounded the
elections.
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