Rivers State Government will henceforth weed out traditional rulers who are directly involved in partisan politics , Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has announced .
The governor also charged traditional rulers to speak up against the deliberate plot to deny the Rivers people representation at the Senate through the failure to conduct rerun elections in the state .
Declaring open the 104th quarterly general meeting of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers at the Traditional Council Secretariat in Port Harcourt on Tuesday , Governor Wike said that traditional rulers are expected to serve all members of their communities.
According to him , a traditional ruler who is an active member of a political party will not function in line with the expectations of all community residents .
“We have decided to weed out all the traditional rulers that are involved in active politics from the system in the interest of the state and the communities that you are meant to serve “, the governor said .
He assured the traditional rulers that the development drive of his administration will get to all the local government areas of the state .
He said: “No part of the state will be left behind in our quest to develop our state “.
Commenting on INEC’s failure to conduct the rerun elections in Rivers State , Governor Wike said that the nation enjoys the benefits of the peaceful revenue generation from the oil fields of the state, while it cites insecurity for perpetual postponement of rerun elections .
He wondered why the Rivers State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner would shamelessly ask for the withdrawal of a suit that sought to protect the electoral integrity of Tai Local Government Area where the electoral body suspended election , only to turn around to compute fake results.
In his address, the Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers , King Jaja of Opobo, Dandeson Jaja, Jeki V, Amanyanabo of Opobo Kingdom , commemded the governor for his developmental strides in the state .
He called on INEC to be fair whenever it will conduct the outstanding rerun elections in the state.
The Chairman of the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers called on youths to embrace the Amnesty Programme introduced by the state government .