Oshiomhole, Edo Assembly At Logger Head Over LGA’s Chairmen Tenure

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Friday, April 22nd, 2016

By Ignatius Okpara, Benin City

Governor Adams Oshiomhole and members of the Edo state House of Assembly may be heading for a showdown over the recent resolution on tenure of local government chairmen recently passed by the lawmakers.

It would be recalled that the House had on April 18, passed a resolution directing 17 out of the 18 Council Chairmen in the state to hand over administration to their respective Heads of personnel Management (HPM) at the expiration of their three-year tenure on April 21.

But in a letter signed and addressed to the House on Thursday, Oshiomhole, had described the resolution as “inappropriate and unacceptable.”

The Governor’s letter read thus: “my attention has been drawn to the resolution of the House directing local government chairmen to hand over administration on April 21, 2016.

“The resolution is a usurpation of the powers of the executive.

“The House does not have the power to give such directive.

“I have already directed the local government chairmen to submit their handing over note and transmit such to the office of the governor,’’ the letter stated.

In his reaction to the Governor’s letter Thursday, Mr Kabiru Adjoto, (APC Akoko-Edo), said that the House derived its powers from the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said: “Mr. Governor, I want to state clearly that the House has the powers to make laws for the state and any other matter not included in the exclusive list.

“We did not dissolve the councils, what we did was to remind them that their tenure expires on Thursday, April 21, 2016 and directed them to hand over administration to their various head of local government as there can be no vacuum in government.

“I want to move that the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Henry Idahagbon, be invited to explain why he has misinformed the Governor on constitutional matters,’’ the lawmaker stated.

Also reacting to the letter, other lawmakers unanimously concurred with Adjoto submissions.

They therefore insisted that they acted within the ambit of the law and the powers conferred on them by Sections 4, 6 and 7 of the 1999 constitution as amended and Section 10 (1) of the local government law 2000 as amended.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Victor Edoror, however, reaffirmed the resolution passed by the House directing Council Chairmen to hand over administration to their HPM at the expiration of their tenure on Thursday.

He had during the sitting summoned the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to appear before the House on April 26 – Tuesday next week.