The Rivers State Chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has disassociated self from the planned protest in Rivers State.
ALGON said, the protest was planned by the immediate past Local Government chairmen, former Assembly members, and National Assembly members loyal to the F.C.T Minister, Nyesom Wike, against the Nigeria Police Force manning the 23 Local Government Councils across the state.
While addressing newsmen on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the Chairman, ALGON Rivers State Chapter, Hon. Ichemati Ezebunwo, said, “the planned protest is not in the interest of the Local Government Areas and the state in its entirety; rather, it is a calculated attempt by these enemies of our dear state to paint the state in a bad light, unleash mayhem, and further buttress their inordinate call for the declaration of a state of emergency in our dear state.
“We emphatically state that we, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter, and our people, support the police decision to take control and protect all Local Government Council Secretariats until further directives on the matter.
“We want to categorically state that we are not in any way linked to the planned protest, which is detrimental to the progress and well-being of the people of the state, considering the sinister plot by some desperate politicians to take advantage of the guise of protest to cause chaos and destabilize governance in the state”, it said
The Association, therefore, called on all law-abiding citizens of the state to disregard the planned protest and go about their lawful businesses.
It warned that should there be a breakdown of law and order as a result of the planned protest, the organizers and their sponsors, as listed above, should be held responsible.
“We want to thank the people of Rivers State for their continued support for the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and his administration, which is delivering the enviable dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers State”, it said.
