Rivers Crisis: Ijaw Youths Camp Blocks Port Harcourt LGA Secretariat

On June 17, 2024, the local government chairmen’s tenure expired in Rivers State. But some of them didn’t want to leave their cozy council secretariats just yet. They claimed that a local government amendment law allowed them to stay put for another six months. Governor Siminalayi Fubara wasn’t having any of it and told them to hit the road.

The youths of Rivers State weren’t about to let this slide. They took matters into their own hands and decided to give those chairmen a little nudge out the door. In several local government areas, including Port Harcourt and Eleme, the youths stormed the council secretariats and took control.

The situation escalated when some youths even tried to invade the speaker’s residence in Port Harcourt. The police had to step in and disperse them with gunshots. It’s like a real-life game of “Capture the Flag,” but with more serious consequences.

The crisis has led to a political showdown between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Wike’s supporters in the state are not happy with Fubara, and it seems like the political drama is far from over.

Meanwhile, the Ijaw youths are making their voices heard loud and clear. They’ve set up camp outside the Port Harcourt LGA, demanding that the chairmen step down and that the seats of 27 state lawmakers who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party be declared vacant.

It’s a complex situation, with various ethnic groups, political factions, and youth organizations all vying for their interests. Let’s hope that cooler heads prevail and a peaceful resolution can be reached before things spiral out of control.

Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story. In the meantime, I’ll be here, keeping an eye on the situation.