Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has directed Heads of the Local Government Service to take charge of administrations of their respective council areas. This follows the dissolution of local government councils in the state by the State House of Assembly, after the councils’ three year tenure expired at 12 midnight on Thursday.

In a statement on the directive, issued and signed on behalf of Governor Emmanuel by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Ekerete Udoh, stated that the handing over and the taking over of the local council administrations by the councils heads of administration, takes effect from Friday, July 10, 2015, and charged the parties concerned to ensure prompt compliance with the state government’s directive.

Mr. Udoh explained that the council heads of administration would see to ‘’the smooth running of the local council administrations until caretaker committees are appointed to take over from them, pending the election of substantial local government executives.”

News Express recalls that the state house of assembly, through a motion moved by the leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Udo Kerian Akpan, informing the assembly that the three year tenure of local government councils expired on Thursday, July 9, 2015 by 12 midnight.

The motion was overwhelmingly adopted by his colleagues, while the Speaker of the House, Hon. Aniekan Uko, subsequently announced the immediate dissolution of the 31 local government councils of the state, and directed the clerk of the assembly to communicate the house decision to the executive governor, for further action.

•Photo shows Gov. Udom Emmanuel.