Wike signs law to extend tenure of caretaker chairmen

In the absence of elected local council chairmen, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, signed into law, a bill that will allow him extend the tenure of caretaker committee members for at least nine months.

Last week the Rivers State House of Assembly amended the State Local Government (amendment No.1) Law Number 5 of 2016, to pave way for the governor to appoint caretaker committees for the 23 local councils.
 
Wike shortly after signing the bill into law, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, explained that the new Local Government Law, will give the him the leverage to extend the appointments of the caretaker committees up to nine months, adding that the extension is aimed at ensuring stability in council administration.

According to him, the criticism that the new law gives some caretaker committee chairmen a third term in office remains unfounded as the caretaker committees are not elected officials. 
 
The initial principal law provided only two tenures for caretaker committees chairmen. But with the amendment, the governor at his discretion can reappoint someone who has served two tenures as chairman, or member of the committee, as many times as he wants.

Wike berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) for criticising the amendment, which allows him to appoint caretaker committee members for up to nine months.According to him: “They have forgotten so soon that they passed laws in two minutes while they were at the State Assembly. This amendment has been done for the good governance of the state.”Speaker of the assembly, Dabo Adams, assured that the house will continue to perform its duties for the good governance of the state.