The Edo State Government has defended Governor Monday Okpebholo over the suspension of 18 local government chairmen in the state.
Henzodaily reports that the State Assembly suspended the chairmen and vice chairmen on December 17 at the governor’s request.
Okpebholo had accused the embattled chairmen and their deputies of insubordination and misconduct on the ground that they did not submit their statement of finances to him.
The development had elicited public outrage as some legal experts and stakeholders pointed to the Supreme Court’s pronouncements on local government autonomy.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Fred Itua, in a statement on Friday, said the decisions of the Edo Assembly and Okpebholo are justifiable despite the intense debate.
Itua maintained that the Assembly has the power to oversight the activities of the Governors and the latter also have the right to exercise oversight to the local government chairman.
He noted that the issue is beyond the suspension of local government chairmen but about the deeper issues of true federalism and the relationship between the state and local governments.
Th statement read, “The suspension of local government chairmen in Edo State has sparked an intense debate. However, a closer examination of the Constitution and the Federal Attorney General’s comments, reveal that the decisions by the Edo State House of Assembly, vis-a-vis, the Governor of the State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, are entirely justified.
“From a legal perspective, the Governor’s request to the House of Assembly to suspend the chairmen was done within his constitutional powers. The House of Assembly had the right to turn down the request but opted to act on it. It is, therefore, unfair to blame the Governor. If the Governor had the powers to suspend the council chairmen unilaterally, he would not have resorted to drafting a letter to the House of Assembly.
“The concept of autonomy is often misunderstood, and in this case, it does not mean that council chairmen can not be oversighted. The House of Assembly has the powers to oversight the activities of the Governor, and similarly, the Governor has the right to exercise oversight over local government chairmen. The ongoing EFCC investigation of the 18 local government chairmen underscores the importance of accountability in governance.
“There are local government laws of Edo state. By virtue of those laws, the Edo State House of Assembly is empowered to investigate local government councils. In carrying out its investigations, it suspended the chairmen. It is important to state clearly that a suspension is not a punishment. Members of the Edo State House of Assembly did not remove chairmen of the 18 local government councils from office. They were only suspended to pave the way for a thorough investigation.
“It is essential to note that the apex Court is both a court of law and a policy court, and while it has the power to make policy decisions, it cannot exercise this power when the Constitution is clear on a matter. In this case, the Constitution is clear on who has the power to superintend over local government matters.
“While the opposition party may be quick to pass a sweeping judgment, a more nuanced understanding of the issue will reveal that the actions by the Edo State House of Assembly and the Edo State Government are justifiable.
“Again, for the records, the chairmen were not removed from office but suspended due to suspicious activities, and the Governor has the right to exercise the power of oversight.”