THE 22 council chairmen in Rivers State have threatened to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged plan by the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, to order the diversion of the June 2015 federal allocation meant for local governments.
The council chairmen, who are all members of the All Progressives Congress, accused Wike of instructing the state Accountant General to divert the federal allocation meant for the councils for this month.
The state Public Relations Officer of the All Local Government of Nigeria, Mr. Samuel Eyiba, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, said the reason for the alleged directive from the governor remained unknown to them (council chairmen).
Eyiba warned that apart from the EFCC, council chairmen in the state had resolved to take the matter to other relevant bodies.
“We are also aware that the Rivers State Government under Nyesom Wike has given instruction, though not written, to the Accountant-General of the state to divert the FAAC allocation meant for the 23 local government councils for this month.
“The reason for this instruction is yet unknown to us. We have resolved to take this unpopular instruction to the appropriate quarters should they go on with their plans, including petitioning the EFCC and related agencies,” Eyiba said.
Reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Sir. Opunabo Inko-Tariah, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that he was not aware that the governor gave any directive to the accountant general, describing the council chairmen’s allegation as spurious.
He said, “I have not heard of such a directive from the governor and so can’t verify the authenticity or otherwise of the allegation.
“However, how did they know there was such a directive if it was oral as they claim? Are they (council chairmen) insinuating having a pact with the Accountant General?”
Eyiba also alleged that members of the state APC were attacked by their counterparts from the Peoples Democratic Party at the premises of the Federal High Court.
Eyiba also claimed that the PDP thugs intimidated and harassed innocent bystanders while some local government chairmen were beaten and dispossessed of some of their belongings.
He said, “We have noted sadly that the PDP and their thugs today at the Federal High Court premises, Port Harcourt, displayed high level of violence by intimidating, harassing, dispossessing innocent by-standers, including some local government chairmen of their belongings.
“In spite of their violent posture, the APC supporters were not deterred. We therefore call on the security agencies to check the excesses of the PDP thugs led by Mr. Samuel Nwanosike.”
But the State PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, described the claim by the council chairmen that he led thugs to the premises of the Federal High as a blatant lie.
Nwanosike explained that both the APC and the PDP members were at the court premises and wondered why he was singled out by the council chairmen.
“I am a law abiding citizen and was at the court premises like any other Rivers person. The APC and the council chairmen want to intimidate members of staff of the court and the people of Rivers and we decided to also be at the court premises to stop their attempt to silence Rivers people,” he said.
source: the punch