The 18 local government council chairmen of Edo State and their deputies suspended by the Edo State House of Assembly have been restored back to office.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the 18 LG chairmen and their deputies were restored back to office by a State High Court sitting in Benin, capital of the State.
Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, who presided over the case, issued a mandatory injunction compelling the defendants to restore the claimants to their respective offices.
Joined in the case as defendants are the Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, the Edo State Government, the attorney-general and the accountant-general.
Recall that the Edo State House of Assembly had passed a resolution suspending chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local governments in the state for two months for alleged insubordination and gross misconduct.
The suspension followed a petition written by the Governor, Monday Okpebholo to the House over the refusal of the chairmen to submit their financial records as directed.
Okpebholo had on Dec. 3, 2024 given the council chairmen 48 hours to submit their statements of account from September 2023 to date to the Edo State Assets Verification Committee.
In the letter, the governor described their action as an act of insubordination and gross misconduct and requested the House to look into the matter.
Subsequently, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) invited the suspended chairmen of the 18 local governments in Edo to its office for interrogation.
The invitation was contained in a letter by EFFC Director of Investigation, Abdulkarim Chukkol and addressed to the Secretary to the State Government.
Granting the mandatory injunction, Justice Ikponmwonba ruled that the status quo as of December 12, 2024, must be maintained pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
The court further restrained the defendants from acting on the resolution passed by the state House of Assembly suspending the chairmen and their deputies.
“The court orders a mandatory injunction compelling the defendant by themselves, their privies, servants, agents, however named or described, to restore the chairmen and vice chairmen of their respective local government councils,” the judge ruled.
TNG reports the case was adjourned to February 17, 2025, for a hearing, with the court directing that hearing notices be issued to the defendants.