On Friday, there was a breaking news that the Sole Administrator of Ahoada East Local Government Council of Rivers State, Goodluck Ihemnacho has resigned his appointment. Moments later, more facts filtered in about the purported resignation, saying that the local government administrator resigned under duress, that some hoodlums invaded the council, manhandled the administrator and forced him to resign.
The report went further to say that the police had shut down the local government secretariat and took over the council. On Saturday, a clearer picture of what actually transpired at the council was portrayed in a video trending online. In the video, the local government administrator was seen seated on the floor and surrounded by men who were dealing blows on him from different directions and shouting on top of their voices, ” sign this resignation letter now, sign it now”.
As they were shouting the orders, more blows were being meted on him. And he was begging them, ” I will sign, I will sign it”, fidgeting and trying to dodge some of the blows. Already, as shown in the video, his assailants had provided a table and a prepared resignation letter placed on the table with a biro and ordering the local government administrator to append his signature.
Interestingly and apparently in their haste to accomplish the mission as fast as they could, the prepared resignation letter read that the local government administrator took office from 11th April 2025 to 20th July 2025, instead of 20th June 2025
In its reaction in a statement on Sunday entitled: “Conspiracy/violent attack/ assault occasioning harm and stealing: A condemnable act,” the state police command said it was aware and deeply disturbed by the “heinous attack on the Sole Administrator of Ahoada-East Local Government Area, Goodluck Iheanachor”
According to the statement signed by SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the state Police Public Relations Officer on 20th June, 2025, at about 1340hrs, a group of hoodlums numbering about 30, led by Mr. Hector Ekakita, the chief security officer and the chief of staff to the local government sole administrator, respectively, stormed the council secretariat and attacked him
The statement said during the attack, the hoodlums assaulted the local government Sole Administrator, stole his mobile phones, forced him to sign a letter purporting his resignation, carted away vital documents, including official and personal documents from his office. It added that the administrator is currently undergoing medical treatment due to the injuries sustained during the violent attack. but is in stable condition.
The police spokesperson noted that the Rivers State Police Command unequivocally condemns the reprehensible act and had taken swift action. “The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, after visiting the scene of the attack with heads of other sister security agencies in the state, has directed the chief security officer, chief of staff, and all those involved in this action to report to the state police headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt for questioning. The police commissioner further noted that the command is resolute in its pursuit of justice and warned that failure to comply with this invitation will attract severe consequences.
The statement reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to ensuring public peace and safety, while urging citizens of the state to remain calm, law-abiding and cooperate with the authorities to maintain peace and order across the state.
That is the latest from Rivers, the Treasure Base of the nation that is fast assuming a theatre of the absurd because of the unimaginable oddities and absurdities that are becoming common place.
Few days ago, one other happened at the National Assembly where the Senate screened and approved a chairman for the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, (RSIEC) who hails from Cross River State, Michael Odey, thus subtly making Rivers a quasi-colony of Cross River State, with Vice Admiral Ibas from same Cross River already holding forte as the state chief executive all in the name of emergency rule!
By the appointment of the non indigenous RSIEC chairman, what Ibas and his ilks are pushing is that no Rivers person is found qualified to man the position even from the academia. Howbeit, the message being passed by all the shenanigans going on is that Rivers State has been conquered by two emperors- Tinubu and Wike. What is playing out at the local councils with the Ahoada local government a sole administrator used as a guinea pig is a replay of what Tinubu and Wike did to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
In the coming days, one would not be surprised if another local government administrator suffers a similar fate like the Ahoada East because Rivers State has become like an elephant killed by a stray bullet, where the fittest are armed with axes and baskets to get as much meat as possible while the meat is still fresh.
Read also:
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- Nigerian Senate approves emergency rule in Rivers State amid political crisis
In all the 23 local government areas, those appointed as administrators are mostly factotums and lackeys of the key followers of the FCT minister with some of them in their 70s and 80s who can hardly hold a piece of paper firmly with their trembling hands because of old age. The intent is to use them to loot the treasury because they are already too weak to offer any resistance under any pressure. The undoing of the Ahoada East man is most likely that he was not bringing ‘returns’ as expected by whoever recommended him for the appointment.
We have also seen how Rivers 2025 budget that was initially in the neighbourhood of N1.1 trillion was inexplicably jacked up to N1.48trillion in the month of June, six months to the end of the fiscal year!
This amount will be spent by the sole administrator with oversight from the National Assembly ad hoc committee on emergency rule in Rivers. But how did they arrive at N1.48 trillion when the governor on ground had assessed the challenges of his state with members of the state executive council and pegged the budget at N1.1 trillion? Why ask? Rivers is like a big elephant lying at the market square free for all comers.
In the meantime, let’s wait and see what will come out of the threats by the police commissioner over the Ahoada East incident.
When a rather more serious attack against members of pro-Sim organization at Etche happened, similar threats were issued by the police. But that was just it. We may not see anything different this time. Rivers of oddities, absurdities!
