By NewsMata
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo State has linked the high insecurity in the state to the non-functioning of local government councils, stating that the councils were responsible for paying stipends of vigilante members recruited to check crimes through regular bush combing across the state.
Speaking at a press conference in Benin, the state acting caretaker committee chairman of the PDP, Dr. Tony Aziegbemi therefore called on the state House of Assembly to immediately recall the purportedly suspended Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the 18 local government councils in the state so that governance at the grassroots level can resume peacefully.
Aziegbemi, who commended the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Lateef Fagbemi for standing on the part of the law, urged him to move beyond mere pronouncements and institute contempt proceedings against the Attorney General of Edo State for disregarding the Supreme Court ruling, adding 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.
The PDP chairman also suggested that, “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 Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) as stipulated in the Supreme Court ruling”.
He alleged that N30 billion had been sent to local government councils in the state under the control of the state government “which Governor Okpebholo is sharing amongst his party leaders”.
According to him, “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 government has unilaterally stopped salaries to the duly democratically elected chairmen, vice chairmen, secretaries, 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”,
The PDP warned some new generation commercial banks to be careful in opening “illegal accounts” with forged signatures of democratically elected chairmen.
Alleging a breach of Section 7 (1) of the country’s Constitution by Governor Okpebholo, Aziegbemi, insisted that the state currently lacks democratically elected local government councils, hence nothing is happening there “and any of the council chairmen who attempts to work is being attacked and humiliated by thugs”.
Reacting to Governor Okpebholo’s alleged breach of Section 7 (1) of the Constitution, the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, said the judgement of the Supreme Court on Local Government Councils’ autonomy did not obliterate Edo State Local Government Law 2000 as amended.
Ohonbamu, a lawyer, clarified that the governor did not suspend the Local Government Chairmen and Vice Chairmen but only reported 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.
On the impeachment of the chairmen which the PDP said was “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 PDP’s claim, Councils’ staff across the state were being paid their salaries.
The commissioner also refuted the party’s claim that Governor Okpebholo shared N30 billion Councils’ allocations to members of his party, APC, positing that, “they are merely throwing figures to make their narrative interesting”.