The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, called on the State House of Assembly
to immediately recall the suspended chairmen and vice chairmen of local government councils in compliance with the Supreme Court verdict.
Alleging a breach of Section 7 (1) of the country’s Constitution as it affects Edo Local Governments by the Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, chairman of PDP’s State Caretaker Committee, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, said the state currently lacks democratically elected local government councils.
In a swift reaction, the commissioner for Information and Communication in Edo State, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, said the judgment of the Supreme Court on local government councils’ autonomy did not obliterate Edo State Local Government Law 2000 as amended.
Ohonbamu, who said the governor did not suspend the local government chairmen and their deputies, noted that he only reported them to the State House of Assembly which found merit in the governor’s report and suspended the council leaders in accordance with the provisions of the local government law of the state.
Relaying PDP allegations, the party chairman lamented the absence of governance at the councils. While he commended the attorney general of the federation for standing on the part of the law, he urged him to move beyond mere pronouncements and institute contempt proceedings against the attorney general of Edo State for disregarding the Supreme Court ruling.
Aziegbemi added that the Edo case is a precedent that will derail the efforts and fights of President Bola Tinubu in ensuring autonomy for the local councils.
“Since there is no properly constituted local government administration in Edo State currently, we urge the Attorney General to immediately halt all allocations to the state government through the Jomnt Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) as stipulated in the Supreme Court ruling”, Aziegbemi said.
He also alleged that since the illegal suspension of the duly elected chairmen, over N30 billion has been sent to local government councils under the control of the state government which Governor Okpebholo is sharing amongst his party leaders.
“There is currently no approved budget in any local council in the State but they have continued to spend monies illegally. They don’t follow due process in the execution of contracts, purchase of transformers and organization of events.
“Since this three months period, the Okpebholo govemment has unilaterally stopped salaries to the duly democratically elected chairmen, vice chairmen, Secretanes, supervisory Councilors special advisers and special assistants. This is while there’s a nepotistic and selective payment of salaries to elected loyal councilors across the 18 local councils of the State
“There is no approval for imprest and grants from legislators at EXCOs. Revenues collected are not accounted for and are being diverted. This is clear executive rascality and impunity taken too far”, Aziegbemi alleged.
In his reaction, commissioner of information, Ohonbamu, said the House of Assembly suspended the council chairman and their deputies after the governor reported them to the lawmakers.
Commenting on the impeachment of the council chairmen which the PDP described as illegal and null and void for not following due process, Ohonbamu stated that the chairmen were impeached by their own councilors.
He said contrary to the PDP claim, Councils’ staff across the state were being paid their salaries, just as he debunked the party’s claim of Governor Okpebholo sharing N30 billion Councils’ allocations to members of his party, saying “they are merely throwing figures to make their narrative interesting.”
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