Wike Suspends Council Chairman

Ganiyat Ganiyu 

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had suspended the Chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Hon. Victor Ihunwo, for illegal tax collection.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, made this known in a statement on Thursday.

He said the state had also removed the Joint Account Allocation Committee, JAAC Accounts from all the banks that gave loans to some Local Government Councils without the authorisation of the state government as provided in the Local Government Law.

Nsirim said the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice has been authorised to institute legal action against the defaulting banks.

He reaffirmed the earlier suspension from office of the chairmen of Abua and Degema Local Government Areas office as their suspension order has not been lifted.

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He added that the Heads of Personnel Management, Heads of Local Government Administration and Treasurers of Abua and Degema Local Government Areas are also suspended with immediate effect for having official transactions with the suspended local government chairmen.

“The Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission is hereby directed to post officers of the same designations to replace the suspended officers immediately,” he said.