LG caretakers knock pro-Wike lawmakers over arrest order

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Omuma Local Government Area in Rivers State, Promise Reginald, dismissed the arrest call by the lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike.

During an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Promise Reginald characterized the lawmakers loyal to former governor Nyesom Wike, who are led by Martin Amaewhule, as illegitimate and lacking the authority to issue any directives or orders.

Reginald explained that, by defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, the lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, have forfeited their legislative seats.

The pro-Wike lawmakers had at their sitting on Monday called for the arrest of the caretakers appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to run the 23 local government areas.

The lawmakers said caretaker committees have become illegal given the recent judgment of the Supreme Court granting LG autonomy.

They called on the the police to arrest anyone parading himself as LG caretaker chairman in Rivers State.

But reacting on Tuesday during his appearance on Arise TV, Reginald said, “To be honest with you, if a serving lawmaker in Rivers State or the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, was the one saying these things, we can take him seriously. Martin Amaewhule ceased to be a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“So on that note, he has no right or any constitutional powers whatsoever to call for the arrest of anyone in Rivers State, not to talk of a Caretaker Chairman in any of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.

“But I don’t blame him because they are busy parading themselves, telling the populace that the police belong to them, that they give orders and the police obey them.

“But the Nigeria Police that I know are too busy to be listening to a man who has retired back to his residence here in Port Harcourt. He should be talking about reelection, he should be talking about how to face Rivers people on the ballot and not to talk of arresting anybody.”

Reginald emphasised that Amaewhul had “ceased to be a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. We don’t take him seriously. Rivers people have moved on, the supporters of the governor, we have moved on and we don’t care about them.”

On the status of the current CTC following the verdict of the Supreme Court, he said, “The Supreme Court never asked the governor to dissolve anybody.

“It only talked about the autonomy of the local government, which is to say that if after that ruling anything is being done, then we now know that you’re flouting the orders of the Supreme Court. These persons are recognised by Law.

“This same caretaker committee thing were laws made by Martin Amaewhule. As a matter of fact we have over 22 states or so being run by caretaker members. So why would that of Rivers State be an exception? The Supreme Court never in any way made a pronouncement that existing caretaker members should be sacked.”