Suspension of LG Chairs: ALGON backs Wike, warns APC

Suspension of LG Chairs: ALGON backs Wike, warns APC

Wednesday, July 29, 2020 2:33 pm


Wike

Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt
Members of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria ALGON, in Rivers have thrown their full weight behind Governor Nyesom Wike in the controversies surrounding the suspension of three of their colleagues in the State. .
The umbrella body of Local Government Chairpersons also issued a stern warning to Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke, Spokesman for  the All Progressives Congress, APC, and  a former member of the House of Representatives for criticizing the suspension of their colleagues by Wike.
The three Local government chiefs suspended by Wike are the chairmen of Abua-Odual, Degema and Port Harcourt City local Council areas.
Recall that the APC in a statement by the spokesperson of its Rivers State chapter, Ogbonna Nwuke, on Monday issued a a 7- day ultimatum to Governor Wike to reverse the suspension of the Council chiefs.
APC had argued that the Governor acted outside the dictates of the Nigerian Constitution which recognizes the existence of three tiers of government as independent entities to suspend the Council chiefs.
“There is no section of the Nigerian Constitution which allows the Executive arm of Government  in any State, or a State Governor as head of the executive, to punish elected officials without referring perceived acts of misdemeanor against elected officials at the third tier level to the House which has the power of oversight,” the party said.
But ALGON, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer who is also the Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government, Hope Ikiriko, said the suspension of the chairmen by Governor Wike was in line with the Rivers State Local Government Law No. 5 of 2018 and the constitution”.
Hope Ikiriko said it was unfortunate that Nwuke will hide under the guise of APC to issue an ultimatum to Governor Wike to recall the suspended LGA Chairmen.
He said the suspension of the three Chairmen is “a correctional measure and warned Ogbonna Nwuke not to bring the crisis in the APC to the PDP.”
The ALGON spokesperson added that the Association will not hesitate to deal with anyone who will want to hide under the suspension of the three Chairmen to cast aspersions on Governor Wike who has provided purposeful leadership in the State.

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