RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT INTERVENED IN THE CRISIS THAT ROCKED EGBEME YOUTH COUNCIL FOR CONSTITUTING A CARETAKER COMMITTEE

The Rivers State Government has intervened in the crisis rocking the Egbema Youth Council by constituting a Caretaker Committee that would pilot the affairs of the youth Association in order to forestall any breakdown of law and order in the area.

The Commissioner for Youth Development Prince Obi Ohia who announced the constitution of the committee after meeting with all the factions of the youth body explained that the tenure of the current executive of the body expired on January 6 as earlier pronounced by the court.

He explained that the Ministry of Youth Development has the statutory responsibility to supervise and oversee all youth activities and to ensure that internal wrangling which may instigate violence were not allowed to rear its ugly head in communities in the state.

Ohia therefore, noted that the state government would not approve tenure elongation in the case of Egbema Youth Association stating that the Ministry of Youth has to step in to avert any security breach in the area.

The Commissioner stressed that the decision to constitute a caretaker committee was predicated on the fact that their constitution and over ninety percent of the exco members present at the meeting were against tenure elongation.

The Ministry he hinted would always rely on security reports available to it in resolving conflicts within the ranks of youth bodies in the state.

He however constituted a seven man committee with Precious Ikenna Egolaegbu as chairman.

They are to oversee the activities of the Association for a period of two months with effect from January 17 within which period they will liaise with the Ministry and the local government area chairman to inaugurate an electoral committee that would conduct elections and hand to a duly elected executive.