The political contest in Rivers State turning rowdy and bloody, which saw the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) sealing the secretariats of the Local Governments Areas (LGA), has also seen Governor Siminalayi Fubara willing to allow the Caretaker Committees to operate at large.

Gov Fubara made the disclosure on Wednesday after swearing in the 23 LGA Caretaker Committee Chairmen in Port Harcourt.

He noted that the Police barred the newly inaugurated caretaker chairmen from accessing their offices in all the 23 LG headquarters, but that should not stop the running of government.

Recall that the Rivers State Police Command had on Tuesday announced that it had taken over all the LG council headquarters to forestall further bloodshed and to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

This operating from a temporary location might be sine die, if the words of the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Olatunji Disu, are to be taken seriously.

Disu made it clear that the LG council headquarters would remain shut for the time being due to the clash between the feuding parties.

Disu said, “It is because two groups are fighting over something. Two groups are fighting over it. The other group is waiting to tackle them. We have to prevent them from clashing and killing one another like they did yesterday (Tuesday) and killed a policeman and one other person.

“So we have to prevent them from going in. We have locked up the local government secretariats. If we allow them (caretaker chairmen) to go in, other people will come out and clash. Then people will ask what are we doing as police officers?

“We are here to prevent a breakdown of law and to protect lives and property. So we know definitely if there is a clash, anything can happen. So we are doing our jobs of protection of lives and property.”

On why local government workers were not allowed into their offices, he said, “For the time being nobody should come in. If we allow local government workers to come in, others will sneak in. So it will still boil down to the same thing. How do we sit and those who are not workers sneak in?

“So it is better we lock up the place and ensure that there is peace. And that is exactly what we are doing.”

Recall that at least two lives were lost at Eberi-Omuma in the Omuma Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday as a result of the feud between supporters of the governor and his predecessor, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Those who died include a serving policeman and a member of a local security, which prompted the Police’s intervention.

Will Caretaker Chairmen Pursue Peace?

After administering the oath of office on the newly appointed Caretaker Committee Chairmen, Gov Fubara charged them to eschew violence, maintain the peace, and be guided by the Constitution.

He also directed the Auditor-General of Local Governments to commence an immediate audit of the accounts of the 23 councils, and made it clear that the new appointees could operate from anywhere.

According to Gov Fubara, the swearing-in of the chairmen would ensure seamless administration of local governments following the expiration of the tenure of elected chairmen and councilors in the state.

Gov Fubara warned them against any form of confrontation, insisting that such was not in his nature and style but advised them to be law-abiding as they take full control of the local government councils.

He said, “Whatever happened yesterday (Tuesday), I know and the world knows that it is not from you people. Some people caused it. So, let us not allow them to continue to make our state look bad in the comity of states.

“So, when you go back, if there is any situation, you should be law-abiding. I don’t want any confrontation. You can operate from anywhere for now. But the most important thing is that you have the control of the local governments today.”

The coming days would show if the new appointees would heed the counsel of the governor or escalate crisis for which the Rivers State’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has already called for an imposition of a state of emergency.

Political watchers are keen that the judiciary would have a say on the matter before long.

Friends and family members continued their frantic search for missing Hajj pilgrims on Wednesday as the death toll from the annual pilgrimage surged past 900.

The rituals, conducted in searing heat, saw temperatures in Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, soar to 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.

Relatives have been combing hospitals and posting pleas online, fearing the worst as about 1.8 million people, many elderly and infirm, participated in the predominantly outdoor pilgrimage, held this year during the scorching Saudi summer.

An Arab diplomat reported that deaths among Egyptians alone had risen to “at least 600,” up from more than 300 the previous day, largely due to the extreme heat. This figure brought the total reported deaths to 922, according to an AFP tally of figures released by various countries.

One of the missing pilgrims is Mabrouka bint Salem Shushana from Tunisia, in her early 70s, who has been unaccounted for since the pilgrimage’s climax on Saturday at Mount Arafat. Her husband, Mohammed, told AFP that due to her unregistered status and lack of an official Hajj permit, she was unable to access air-conditioned facilities.

“She’s an old lady. She was tired. She was feeling so hot, and she had no place to sleep,” he said. “I looked for her in all the hospitals. Until now I don’t have a clue.”

Social media platforms like Facebook have been inundated with pictures of the missing and requests for information. Among those searching for news is the family of Ghada Mahmoud Ahmed Dawood, an Egyptian pilgrim unaccounted for since Saturday. A family friend in Saudi Arabia, speaking anonymously to avoid angering the authorities, said, “The good news is that until now we did not find her on the list of the dead people, which gives us hope she is still alive.”

The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is an obligation for all Muslims with the means to complete it at least once. The timing is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, causing the pilgrimage to shift forward each year in the Gregorian calendar. For the past several years, the rituals have taken place during the sweltering Saudi summer. A recent Saudi study noted that temperatures in the area are rising by 0.4 degrees Celsius (0.72 degrees Fahrenheit) each decade.

Fatalities have been confirmed by multiple countries including Jordan, Indonesia, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region. However, many authorities have not specified the causes of death.

A second Arab diplomat reported that Jordanian officials were searching for 20 missing pilgrims, although 80 others initially reported missing were located in hospitals. An Asian diplomat stated there were “around 68 dead” from India, with more missing. “Some died from natural causes and many were old-age pilgrims. Others, we assume, succumbed to the weather conditions,” he said.

Saudi Arabia has not provided information on fatalities but reported over 2,700 cases of “heat exhaustion” on Sunday alone. Last year, more than 200 pilgrims were reported dead, most of them from Indonesia.

Many pilgrims attempt to perform the Hajj through unofficial channels due to the high cost of official permits. This has become easier since 2019 with the introduction of a general tourism visa. “For these tourists, it’s like being on the migrant route without any idea of what to expect,” explained Umer Karim, an expert on Saudi politics at the University of Birmingham.

The Arab diplomat noted that many of the deceased Egyptians were unregistered. Even those with official permits are not immune, such as 70-year-old Houria Ahmad Abdallah Sharif from Egypt, who has been missing since Saturday after visiting a public bathroom at Mount Arafat.

“We’ve searched for her from door to door and we have not found her until now,” said a friend. “We know many who are still searching for their family members and relatives and they are not finding them, or if they are finding them, they are finding them dead.”

Cyril Ramaphosa was inaugurated for his second term as President of South Africa on Wednesday in Pretoria, following a coalition agreement by his party, the African National Congress (ANC).

The swearing-in ceremony, conducted by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo at the Union Buildings, was attended by lawmakers, foreign dignitaries, and a diverse array of supporters.

“In the presence of everyone gathered here, and fully aware of the significant responsibility I undertake as President… I, Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, solemnly pledge my allegiance to the Republic of South Africa,” President Ramaphosa affirmed during his oath.

Last week, lawmakers re-elected the 71-year-old with a decisive vote after the May 29 general election, which did not produce a clear winner.

The event was graced by the presence of numerous heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Angola’s Joao Lourenco, Congo Brazzaville’s Denis Sassou Nguesso, and Eswatini’s King Mswati III.

Guests arrived early at the Union Buildings, adorned in formal attire despite the winter chill, with VIPs and dignitaries gathered in the amphitheater while others watched from the lawn, where cultural performances and patriotic displays took place.

The ceremony concluded with the national anthem, accompanied by a 21-gun salute and a flyover by military helicopters carrying large South African flags, underscoring the significance of the occasion as President Ramaphosa embarks on another term at the helm of South Africa’s leadership.