Women from the Ipo community in Rivers State on Tuesday, blocked the entrance of the Port Harcourt International Airport, in Omagwa, leaving several passengers stranded.
The women, who stormed the airport as early as 7.30 in the morning, blocked the gate at the airport roundabout, waving placards, singing, wailing, and even cooking at the gate.
Some of the inscriptions seen on the placards and banners with them include ‘We Demand Our Citizens Rights’, ‘Ipo Women Peaceful Protest’, among others.
It was gathered that the women are protesting a lack of electricity in their community.
Protesters Cooking
The action of the protesters has also resulted in traffic build-up on the roads close to the airport.
Naija News understands Tuesday’s protest is the second of such happening within a space of 6 months.
It took the intervention of the former Chairman of the Rivers Traditional Rulers Council, Sergeant Awuse, to pacify the women during the previous protest, which occurred on the 27th of March this year.
Southern Governors Back Fubara On Tenure Of Local Govt Chairmen In Rivers State
Meanwhile, Governors of the southern region of the country have declared support for the position of Governor Siminalayi Fubara on the tenure of local government chairmen in Rivers State.
Speaking on the political upheaval in Rivers State based on the tenure of local government chairmen, the chairman of the Southern Governors Forum, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, said it was unconstitutional for anybody to extend the tenure of constitutionally elected public servants.
He argued that the law is very clear on the tenure of elected officials, and when the tenure expires, there is no need to extend it by whatever means.
Speaking against the backdrop of the decision of the Rivers State House of Assembly to extend the tenure of the local government chairmen in the state, but which was refused by Governor Fubara, who then went ahead to appoint caretaker chairmen, Abiodun in an interview with a national television said it would be a dangerous precedent to extend the tenure of local government chairman.
Speaking on behalf of other Governors from the region, Abiodun said if tenure extension is allowed, then it will become a reference point in the future and such is capable of truncating democracy in Nigeria.
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