Governor Siminalayi Fubara has sworn in the chairpersons for the caretaker committees for the 23 local government councils in the state.
The ceremony was performed at the Government House, Port Harcourt, the Governor’s spokesperson, Chukwudi Nelson, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Clerk of the assembly had earlier invited the appointees for screening by 8 a.m., on Wednesday.
The governor had, in a statewide broadcast on Tuesday, directed heads of administration (civil servants) at the local councils to immediately take over the running of the council, following the expiration of the tenure of the elected council officials on Monday.
However, minutes after the announcement, violence broke out in the state between supporters of Governor Fubara and that of his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the minister of FCT.
Messrs Fubara and Wike have been at loggerheads since last October over a disagreement on the control of political structures in the state.
Following Mr Fubara Tuesday’s broadcast, supporters of the governor moved into different council secretariat to ensure that the outgone council chairpersons vacate office.
But the outgone chairpersons in some councils, relying on the amended Local Government Administration Law, refused to vacate office, a development that triggered a violent crisis leading to the death of two persons, including a police officer, on Tuesday, according to the police.
The police said on Tuesday that they have taken over the 23 council secretariats in the state because of violent clashes.
The amended Local Government Administration Law which the former council chairpersons relied on had been set aside by a State High Court in Rivers.
Chijioke Ihunwo, the chairperson of the National Youth Council in Rivers and a vocal critic of Mr Wike, is among those inaugurated today to run the local councils in the state.
He is the caretaker committee chairperson for Obio/Akpor where Mr Wike hails from.
With the appointment and swearing-in of caretaker committees for the local government areas in the state, Mr Fubara is gradually taking over the political structure in the state.
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