Twenty–three local government area chairmen in Rivers State have alleged plot to caused breakdown of law and order in the state.
They called on the authorities to call Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Jamil Sarham and the state Commander of Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), Akin Fakorede, to order, as their actions could cause a breach of peace in the state.
In a press conference in Port Harcourt yesterday, the council chairmen, under the aegis of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), said there was a plot to arrest them two days to the election in order to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an edge in the presidential election.
Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Victor Ihunwo, who presented the position of the chairmen, said: “As law-abiding citizens of this country, we are calling on the president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, chief of army staff, acting inspector general of police and other security agencies to demonstrate to us that we are part of this nation and under the same constitution as the third tier of government.
“They should also call Amaechi, Sarham and Fakorede to order in the interest of public peace.”
The council chairmen vowed to resist any attempt to arrest them, as, according to them, “we have got credible intelligence report that Sarham in connivance with the newly posted Director of State Security Services (DSS), who was posted from Ebonyi State, Useni Bello Abdullahi, and Fakorode are on a mission to arrest the 23 council chairmen two days to the general election.”
They said the planned arrest was in line with the war song, Amaechi sand at the APC presidential rally in Port Harcourt last week, where he threatened that the election in the state was a war. “We are not against the investigation or arrest of chairmen who have any matter to answer as required by the law. But our concern is that why should it be two days to the general election.
“We, as chairmen, after our meeting held today, February 21, 2019, have resolved to resist any person in any guise of military, police or DSS planning to arrest all chairmen until after the election.”
The ALGON in Rivers State drew the attention of Rivers people, Nigerians and the international community to recent political developments in the state.
“As leaders, our duty is to promote peaceful and free atmosphere before, during and after the polls in our various local government areas.
“The atmosphere of hostility is being brewed by the unholy relationship between the APC and security agencies. It has become a major source of worry, threatening peace and communal tranquility in our various local government areas,”ALGON said.