By Funso Alarape
Tuesday June 18, 2024
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There was pandemonium in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State today as the chairman of the LGA, Hon. Allwell Ihundah who came to his office was prevented by the youths from gaining access to the office.
There was heavy shooting at the premises of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State following a move by the chairman of the LGA, Hon Allwell Ihundah, to access his office.
The development led to a shooting by the police to scare the youths and it sparked tension as businesses in the area shut down temporarily.
It was alleged that the Chairman of the LGA, Ihundah had arrived at the council secretariat this morning with his security personnel to access his office, but that he was stopped by the youths who resumed occupation of the premises, on Monday.
It would be recalled that the three-year tenure of the elected Chairmen of Local Government and Councillors expired on the 17th of June as provided by the Constitution.
But the LGA bosses have insisted that they would not vacate office following a purported amendment to the Local Government Administration Law of the State by the Martin Amaewhule-led State Assembly.
However, a State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had in its ruling voided the amendment in which the legislative arm of the state extended the tenure of the elected chairmen by six months.
However, Governor Siminialayi Fubara in a statewide broadcast this morning, bided the elected chairmen and councilors farewell, noting that their period to occupy their positions legally has elapsed.
But, on Tuesday, the Chairman of PHALGA allegedly came to the council secretariat to pick up some of his property, but he was stopped by the angry youths.
It was learned that in the process police attached to him started shooting in the air to scare the LGA occupants, but that the youths resisted the security action.
The loud gunshots caused pandemonium along the stretch of the council Secretariat adjacent to the state police command headquarters and Rivers State House of Assembly as residents and passersby scampered for safety.
Naija News learned that the youths were at the secretariat to carry out a peaceful demonstration against the immediate past local government council chairmen whom they claimed had refused to vacate office after the expiration of their tenure.
A spokesperson of the group in an interview with Daily Trust said they were not at the secretariate to make trouble, but the police started shooting at them immediately after they sighted them.
He said, “We are Ijaw youths; we are here on a peaceful demonstration against those whose tenure has expired but said they will not vacate their office. We are not here to make trouble but we were on a peaceful demonstration but the police started shooting at us.”
Also speaking, the leader of Port Harcourt City youths, Allwell Ichemanti, who was also at the secretariat for the demonstration, said one of the youths was shot by the police.
Ichemanti accused the immediate past Chairman of the Council of inviting the police to attack them.
Confirming the development, the state Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said men of the command had been deployed in various councils to maintain peace.
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