Dissolution of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council
Our Position
The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State chapter has been drawn to the purported dissolution of the elected members of Obio/Akpor Council, headed by Hon Prince Timothy Nsirim, by the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
The Rivers State chapter of the PDP wishes to state as follows:
1) That the PDP is in possession of a subsisting Court Judgment delivered on Monday, November 25, 2013, by Hon Justice Iyayi Lamikanra perpetually restraining Gov Rotimi Amaechi, his agents, privies etc from suspending, dissolving and or doing anything that will truncate the tenure of the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Council, Hon Prince Timothy Nsirim, his Vice and the 17 Councilors.
2) That prior to the said judgment on Monday, November 25, 2013, Gov Amaechi declared unjustifiable seven work free days, sponsored campaign of calumny in the media against the trial learned Judge, instigated the judicial workers to go on strike and shut down power supply to the Port Harcourt judicial complex, all to ensure that the said judgment was not delivered.
3) That Gov Amaechi, on a live Radio programme in Port Harcourt on Friday, November 22, 2013, said he is not duty bound to obey any court judgment on Obio/Akpor Local Government Council that is against him.
4) That on Thursday, November 28, 2013, Gov Amaechi, at the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, made frantic efforts to coerce the Court of Appeal to order for a stay of execution of the judgment delivered by Hon Justice Iyayi Lamikanra on Monday, Nov 25, 2013 in favour of Hon Timothy Nsirim, his Vice and the 17 Councilors.
5) That the Court of Appeal Judges sitting in Port Harcourt refused to order for a stay of the execution of the judgment in favour of Hon Prince Timothy Nsirim, his Vice and the 17 Councilors.
6) That Rotimi Amaechi, speaking through his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, told journalists in Port Harcourt that the Rivers State Government would obey the Court’s judgment in favour of Hon Timothy Nsirim.
7) That the PDP, Rivers State chapter, was therefore shocked to hear a Radio announcement at about 11pm on Thursday, November 28, 2013 by Gov Amaechi purportedly dissolving the elected Obio/Akpor Local Government Council headed by Hon Prince Timothy Nsirim.
The PDP therefore, states as follows:
What an irony of history? Rotimi Amaechi, who became Governor through court process without contesting an election, today disdains the same process he benefited from.
Today, we have worst Hitlers who use public funds and impunity to practice instability and irresponsible governance in Rivers State.
How else could anyone explain the purported dissolution of Obio/Akpor LG Council?
Is this not impunity in the worst form? Must this injustice be allowed to continue in Rivers State unchallenged?
This is the time for Rivers people to say enough is enough of this mad ranting of an APC defector.
a) The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State chapter hereby directs the elected chairman of Obio/Akpor LG Council, Hon. Prince Timothy Nsirim, his Vice Chairman and the 17 Councilors of Obio/Akpor Council to go about their normal duties without any fear.
b) The purported dissolution is hereby declared null and void, illegal, unconstitutional, and in defiance of a subsisting Court judgment, and therefore, has no effect.
c) The Party also urges Rivers people to discountenance the purported dissolution of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council and rise against Gov Amaechi’s propensity and recklessness.
Signed
Jerry Needam
SA, On Media to
State PDP Chairman
