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Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has expressed concern over President Bola Tinubu's statement addressing recent violent attacks on local government secretariats in Rivers, specifically that his name was singled out in the statement.
The unrest followed the swearing-in of newly elected LG chairmen and subsequent clashes in multiple areas of the state.
During an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, Fubara voiced unease about Tinubu's public appeal, which specifically urged him and Rivers' political leaders to exercise restraint amid the crisis.
"I do not have any issue with [the President's intervention]. But I am a bit concerned when my name was only mentioned," Fubara said.
Violence erupted in at least four LG areas, with buildings in Eleme, Ikwerre, and Emohua set ablaze and gunfire in Ahoada East, reportedly as political tensions flared between newly installed officials and opposition forces.
Fubara cited the recent police withdrawal from all 23 LG secretariats as a key factor enabling these attacks, suggesting the absence of security might have left the facilities vulnerable to vandalism.
"Maybe as a result of [the police] pulling their men out… they [hoodlums] took advantage of the situation," he explained.
The Rivers governor requested that the security arrangement for LG officials be reconsidered, hoping the Inspector General's recent intervention would provide stability.
"I was never of the opinion that the police should pull out completely," he clarified, urging that security measures be reinforced for LG staff to perform their duties safely.