By Jethro Ibileke
The Caretaker Chairman of the Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Tony Aziegbemi, on Monday asked the State House of Assembly to recall the suspended Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the 18 Local Government Councils in the State.
Aziegbemi who made the call while addressing journalists, faulted the purported suspension of the chairmen, alleging a breach of Section 7 (1) of the country’s Constitution as it affects Edo Local Governments by the Governor Monday Okpebholo.
He noted that nothing is happening in the Councils, and any of the Council Chairmen who attempts to work, is being attacked and humiliated by thugs.
Aziegbemi who commended the Attorney-General of the Federation for standing on the part of the law, urged him to move beyond mere pronouncements and institute contempt proceedings against his Edo State counterpart for disregarding the Supreme Court ruling.
He 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 ₦30 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,” he further alleged.
The Edo PDP Chairman warned some new generations commercial banks to be careful against opening illegal accounts with forged signatures of democratically elected chairmen.
He also blamed the high insecurity in the State on the non-functioning Local Government Councils in the state, saying that the Councils were responsible for paying stipends of vigilante members recruited to check crimes through regular bush-combing across the State.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, in a reaction alleged breach of Section 7 (1) of the Constitution by Governor Okpebholo, said the judgment of the Supreme Court on Local Government Councils’ autonomy did not obliterate the State Local Government’s Law 2000 as amended.
He explained that the Governor did not suspend the Local Government Chairmen and Vice Chairmen, but only reported them to the State House of Assembly which found merit in his report and suspended them in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Law.
Also commenting on the impeachment of the Councils Chairmen which the PDP described as illegal, null and void for not following due process, Ohonbamu stated that the Chairmen were impeached by their own Councilors.
The Commissioner who said Councils’ staff across the State were being paid their salaries, debunked the PDP’s claim of Governor Okpebholo sharing ₦30 billion Councils’ allocations to members of his party, saying “they are merely throwing figures to make their narrative interesting”.
