The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Ambassador Marvin Yobana, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw his men from all the 23 local government secretariats in Rivers State.
Amb. Yobana made the call while playing host to members of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Bori branch and Khana Lawyers Forum at Khana, on Friday.
The council boss urged the IGP not to be partisan in the political crisis rocking the State, saying the Police have the duty to protect and not to prevent workers from accessing their offices.
According to him, the salary paid to local government workers can only be justified if they are allowed to access their offices and work.
“Imagine a situation whereby Khana Council pays N200 million salary to its workers on monthly basis, yet the Police do not allow them to work. We as CTC members had to hire drivers and other aides to do their work. We are trying to stop bottlenecks to achieve effective working council.
“We are using this opportunity to appeal to the IGP, so that the Council can be open for workers to resume work. I don’t see any reason why the Council should be under lock and key. He (IGP) is a professional and should not be seen as being partisan by calling his men to leave our Council secretariat”, he said.
Amb. Yobana described the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminilayi Joseph Fubara, GSSRS, as a man of peace who is poised to deliver good governance and dividends of democracy to the people of the State.
“The Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, is a mantra that has people’s face and has gone through the ranks and files; he has the mandate of the people, so he should be allowed to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers State.
“The people of Khana today can testify to the fact that they are one of the first beneficiaries of the dividends of democracy under Governor Fubara led-Government. His administration has started working on the Bori Zonal Hospital as well as deploying enough doctors to work in the hospital,” he noted.
The Khana Local Government chairman commended lawyers in the State for standing firm on the side of truth and justice.
He, however, charged lawyers and the Police on how to decongest the prisons using the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) method to stop more people from going to court on every little issue.
He promised to support the NBA, Bori branch, towards enabling them to go for their annual conference in Lagos.
The leader of the NBA delegation, Idris Abayomi Shehu, had earlier thanked the Khana Local Government Chairman, Amb. Marvin Yobana, for appointing some NBA members into his cabinet.
He said the NBA members were in the Council to partner with the Chairman on on how to develop the area as well as to seek for financial support to enable 200 members of the Bori Branch attend their annual conference holding in Lagos between August 23 and August 28, 2024.
Shehu appealed to the Khana CTC boss to look into the security issue confronting lawyers in Bori, adding that more security personnel are needed to man the two courts in Bori so that the environment is made friendly for their members to stay and work.
The NBA members commended Amb. Yobana for developmental projects he has put in place within a short period in office, saying it will be their joy to see him elected as the Khana Local Government substantive chairman.
They commiserated with the CTC chairman over the death of his mother and prayed God to grant the departed eternal rest. Also speaking, the Khana Lawyers Forum’s Chairman, Dr Dusor Ambrose Esq, urged the people of Ogoni to support Amb. Yobana in his efforts to deliver the dividends of democracy to his people, describing him as a worthy ambassador of Ogoni.
