The accounts of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State are set to undergo an audit operation, News About Nigeria reports.
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, gave this order while swearing in the Caretaker Committee Chairmen of the Local Government Areas on Wednesday.
He ordered that the activities of the accounts for the past three years be audited, as the measure is intended to serve as a check for the incoming officials.
The governor’s order comes amidst the long-running political crisis rocking the state.
Fubara also urged the caretaker chairmen not to see themselves as superheroes but to protect the interests of their people and demonstrate that the government made the right choice in appointing them.
According to him, the fight against tenure extension is not just about the state but the entire country, as allowing it in one state could lead to it being replicated nationwide.
He noted that Rivers State was not doing anything unusual, as most states in the country are also run by caretaker committees.
Fubara, however, cautioned the caretakers that their tenure would not be excessively long because the process for local government area elections would commence soon.
He warned against violence, stating that it was not his approach and he urged the officials to sort out the salaries and entitlements of the outgoing chairmen.
Recall that new caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas of Rivers State were sworn in by Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Wednesday.
The swearing-in event took place at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital, amid tight security.