By Jimitota Onoyume

Port Harcourt — Rivers State House of Assembly, yesterday, suspended the Chairman, Vice Chairman and the 17 councillors of Obio Akpor Local Government Area over allegations of abuse of public funds and breach of security.

The House, which also froze the account of the council, called on the state government to immediately appoint a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the council until investigations into the allegations were concluded.

Chairman of the eight-man House Committee on Local Government Affairs, Mr. Lucky Odili, said: “Proper investigation of the allegations is not feasible if the accused officers remain in office.

“In the light of the above, the committee does, hereby, make the following recommendations: that the Chairman, Vice Chairman and the 17 councillors of Obio Akpor Council be suspended from office pending the outcome of the investigation.

“That the Rivers State Government should appoint a Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the council in line with section 64(4) of the Rivers State Local Government Law. That all accounts of the council should be frozen with immediate effect to pave way for the investigation.”

Speaker of the House, Mr. Otelema Amachree, who presided over the sitting, said there was no need subjecting the issue to a debate since the recommendation was an interim report.

Twenty seven members voted in support of the recommendations, with five against.

Efforts to reach any of the suspended officials for reaction proved futile.

It will be recalled that the arrow head of the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Nyesom Wike was former two-time chairman of the council.