By HEADLINENEWS.NEWS correspondent
The Association of Local Government Areas of Nigeria (ALGON) in Rivers has backed the call by the state caretaker committee chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Okocha, for the House of Assembly to commence impeachment procedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The local government chairmen accused Governor Fubara of witholding its funds meant for the 23 LGAs in Rivers State.
The state ALGON said the action had denied them of their functions in the administration of the third tier of government.
The State ALGON Chairman and Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Allwell Ihunda, stated this at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Ihunda stated, “It has come to the notice of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter, that the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has neglected, failed, and deliberately refused to hold the statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee Meeting which is the prerequisite for the release and disbursement of funds due to the local government in the State Joint Local Government Accounts.
“And has continued to withhold the statutory allocations due to the 23 local government councils of Rivers State since April 2024.
“And in the case of Emuoha LGA since March 2024 till date for no just course, thereby starving the third tier of the government of the funds required to discharge its statutory functions in the administration of the local government areas.”
Meanwhile, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has warned all heads and officials of the 23 local government areas in the state against appearing before the Rivers Assembly, threatening to sack any such official who disobeys the directive.
The governor’s directive was conveyed via an online circular signed by Ebirieneuket Nteile C, Director of Information and Communications for the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, dated Tuesday, May 7, 2024.
The directive is in furtherance of a full-scale political war between the governor and members of the Martin Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly on one hand, and between the governor and the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, on the other.
Fubara had earlier declared that in the eyes of the law, the state does not have state lawmakers, as 27 lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby losing their mandate as enshrined in the constitution.
The circular reads in part, “I am directed to inform you, all officers of the 23 Local Government Councils in Rivers State, not to honor or appear before the Members of the Assembly or any purported invitation by anybody or group of persons in any guise without the permission of the Acting Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission. Any staff who disobeys or violates this instruction will be dismissed accordingly from service.”
