The embattled 18 Local Government Chairmen in Edo State have dared the State House of Assembly over its suspension, declaring that the Assembly has no power to suspend them.
New Telegraph recalls that Governor Monday Okpebholo had written to the House over the refusal of the State Chairmen to submit the council’s financial record to the Asset Verification Committee as requested.
The governor described the Chairmen’s action as an act of insubordination and gross misconduct and requested the House to look into the matter.
Following the governor’s letter, the State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended the Local Government Council Chairmen and their deputies over alleged insubordination and gross misconduct.
Speaking to journalists in Benin, Hon Newman Ugiagbe of Orhiomwon LG, on behalf of the chairmen, said the state Assembly acted in contempt of Court and that they will continue to carry out their lawful duties pending the expiration of their tenure in September 2026.
He said the local government chairmen had dragged the state government and the House of Assembly to the High Court in the state, where the Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa ruled that the Governor, House of Assembly and its agents can’t suspend or dissolve elected local government chairmen.
He added that a reminder was also served on the House speaker on 17th December, wherein he was also intimated of another suit instituted against Edo State Government, the Governor and Others, wherein the High Court 2 also granted an interim Order restraining the defendants therein from “interfering with obstructing and disturbing the Claimants exercise of their Constitutional rights over all assets and funds allocated to them from the Federation Account.
“It also restrained the defendants from suspending, removing, redeploying, meddling or in any manner interfering with them in the administration and management of their Councils”
Ugiagbe who is the ALGON chairman in the state, said they were elected September 3, 2023 and sworn in September 4, 2023 and that they are entitled to hold office for a period of three years.
“We remain the executive Chairmen of our respective Local Government Councils and we are going on with our constitutional responsibility as the chief executive officers of our Councils. As law-abiding chairmen, the people of our respective councils gave us our mandate till 2026 no one can stop us from carrying out our lawful duties”, he said.
He however called on the the Nigeria Police, Directorate of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corp (NSDC) and other institutions of Government saddled with the responsibility of enforcing law or order to protect all assets and buildings of the 18 councils.
