The crisis in the Edo State Local Government councils took a different dimension on Thursday.
Several persons have been reportedly wounded as gunmen allegedly invaded the Uhunmwode Local Government Council headquarters in Egor.
The chairman of the council, Kenneth Adodo, alleged that the people involved in the shooting were policemen from the Edo State Government House.
This followed reports of impeachment of the chairmen of Uhunmwode and Orhionmwon local government councils by the elected councillors.
Their Owan East counterpart; Prince Aminu Okodo-Kadirihas, reacted swiftly to his own impeachment. He maintained that his purported impeachment and that of his Vice, Hon Clement Ojebuovbo was unconstitutional and illegal.
The councillors in Orhionmwon had on Wednesday impeached the Leader of the house, Hon Daniel Osariemen and replaced him with Hon Chuks Isan as they claimed that Osariemen was being mobiliSed to impeach the chairman, Hon Newman Ugiagbe and his Vice Midwest Ogbebor.
The purportedly suspended Leader, Osariemen was alleged to have led unknown persons to take over the secretariat of the council in Abudu where he purportedly resumed as the Acting Chairman of the local government area.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Orhionmwon LG Chairman, Roy Osariemen, the action in Abudu was illegal and that Neeman Ugiagbe remained the chairman of the local government area.
Addressing journalists in Benin City on Thursday, the chairman of Owan East LGC, Okodo-Kadiri, said his purported impeachment processes were full of irregularities which, according to him, went against the provisions of the law.
He referenced the Edo State Local Government Law of 2000 (as amended in 2002) which outlined specific procedures for the removal of council executives.
Okodo stressed that the councillors failed to establish a seven-member investigative panel, noting that the mace used during the impeachment was not the official mace of the Owan East Local Government Council.
“The governor alleged that council chairmen embezzled ₦50 million meant for salaries, but this claim lacks merit,” he said.
“Monthly salary expenditures far exceed ₦50 million in most councils and salaries were paid promptly up to November, contrary to the governor’s claims.
“If funds were misappropriated, where is the proof? Our bank records are clear, and no salaries are owed.
“Moreso, the purported impeachment revealed that two key councillors were involved in the process—Hon. Haruna Mohammed and another member from Ward Seven who had been suspended for gross misconduct prior to the session.”
He argued that the participation of the suspended councillors in the process rendered the proceedings invalid and emphasised that his office was never notified of their reinstatement, as required by due process.
He expressed confidence in the courts to do the needful and reverse the illegal impeachment proceedings.
Edo Assembly Suspends LG Chairmen
The latest incident comes about three weeks after the Edo State House of Assembly passed a resolution suspending all chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government councils of the state for two months.
The house also mandated leaders of the legislative arms to take over leadership of their respective councils.
The suspension of the council’s chairmen and their deputies followed a motion moved by the member representing Esan North East one, Isibor Adeh and seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo two, Donald Okogbe.
The governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo had written a petition to the House over the refusal of the chairmen to submit financial records of their local government to the state government.
In the letter, the governor who described their action as an act of insubordination and gross misconduct, requested the House to look into the matter.
When the matter came up for debate, 14 members voted in favour of the motion for their suspension, six opposed the motion while three members did not participate in the voting.
The speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, had earlier told the members that all of them must speak on the matter.
After they had all spoken, the speaker directed the clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to do a head count of the members who supported or opposed the suspension of the council’s chairmen and their deputies.
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