24th June, 2015
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria presided over by Hon. Justice J.T. Agbadu-Fishim in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state has granted an order of interim injunction against the Governor of Rivers gtate, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Attorney-General of Rivers State and their agents from dissolving, suspending, sacking terminating or in any manner whatsoever interfering with the tenure of office of the 23 Local Government Councils of Rivers state.
The order, in Suit No: NICN/YEN/26/2015, which was granted on Monday, 22nd June, 2015 followed a motion ex-parte and affidavit of extreme urgency filed by the 23 Local Government Council Chairmen on behalf of themselves and the 23 Local Government Councils of Rivers state.
The order also restrained the Inspector-general of Police or his agents and privies from enforcing any purported action detrimental to the existence of the 23 Chairmen and Councils in Rivers state.
The party said the order will remain in force until the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
The APC recalled that the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Hon. Attorney-General of the State have been hatching all manner of schemes to do away with the elected 23 local Government Councils in Rivers state.
APC said that, despite the presence of a few bad eggs, the judiciary remains the last hope of the oppressed. “Therefore, we hail this decision by the Yenagoa High Court Order.”
Governor Wike has vowed that the 22 local government councils would be dissolved because the court had allegedly restrained the Rivers state Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, from conducting local government council election but former Governor Amaechi administration went ahead to conduct the election in disobedience of court order.