In a dramatic turn of events, young people in Rivers State have taken matters into their own hands by shutting down the Asari Toru Local Government Secretariat. Their demand? The immediate removal of the Chairman.
This act of defiance comes amidst a highly contentious dispute between the Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen and Governor Sim Fubara. Tensions have been brewing for quite some time, and it seems that the youth have had enough.
According to reports, the Chairman, whose term is set to expire today, has allegedly fled his office in response to the residents’ invasion of the secretariat. This incident serves as a visual reminder of the power dynamics at play in the region.
The root cause of this unrest can be traced back to the ongoing legal battle between the LGA chairmen and the state government.
Unfortunately, the matter remains unresolved, with the court proceedings scheduled to resume after the chairmen’s tenure comes to an end.
To maintain order and prevent further escalation, security operatives have been deployed to the council secretariat. However, it remains to be seen whether their presence will be enough to quell the growing discontent among the youths.
It is worth noting that the LGA chairmen, who are loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, had previously vowed not to vacate their positions in June.
This decision was supported by Chief Hon. Dr. Irastus Awoto, the Legal Adviser of the 21 LGA chairmen and Chairman of Andoni LGA.
Awoto argues that since the local government elections have not been conducted as scheduled, the democratically elected chairmen should be allowed to continue serving for an additional six months. He cites the local government law as the basis for their stance.
As the situation unfolds, it is clear that the voices of the youth in Rivers State are growing louder and more assertive.
Their actions reflect a deep-rooted desire for change and a demand for fair governance in their communities. It remains to be seen how the state government will respond to these calls for accountability and transparency.
