Aiyedatiwa Suspends Ondo Local Government Chairmen

Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has suspended indefinitely the caretaker chairmen of the 18 council areas and the newly sworn-in 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspension of the caretaker committee chairmen followed a court order.

An Akure High Court presided over by Justice Yemi Fasanmi had recently granted an interim injunction filed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which sought to restrain the late governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu from inaugurating any person or persons not democratically elected as member(s) of caretaker committees to administer the affairs of the local councils and the LCDA pending the determination of the interlocutory injunction in the suit.

The injunction, which was granted by Justice Fasanmi,  also barred the caretaker committee chairmen from operating after they resumed office on the excuse that they had been sworn in before the order was granted.

But Governor Aiyedatiwa, in a letter by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and signed by Alonge Adewale, yesterday, suspended all the caretaker chairmen indefinitely.

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Aiyedatiwa in the letter said: “It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government Areas (LGAS) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the state by a court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals in these former positions are still parading themselves in those posts.

“Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective LGAs/LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all legal matters relating to this subject.”

In the letter, the governor directed that the suspended caretaker chairmen should submit, without delay, all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs.

One of the affected caretaker chairmen who spoke to LEADERSHIP on the condition of anonymity, however, vowed to pursue the matter in court

He wondered why the governor would go ahead to dissolve them after they secured a stay of execution against the court order.

He said: “We were shocked that Aiyedatiwa refused to obey the order for a stay of execution, but that’s not the end of the matter; we would ensure that justice was done in this matter.”