Ondo LG Chairmen Refuse To Vacate Offices Despite State Govt Directive

The 18 Local government chairmen in Ondo State and their councillors have refused to vacate their offices as directed by the state government.

Naija News recalls that upon the expiration of their tenure last week, the state government had asked them to vacate their offices pending when a fresh council election would be held next year.

The Acting Governor, Hon Lucky Ayedatiwa, in a statement, announced the dissolution of the 18 council chairmen across the state.

Aiyedatiwa, through his Chief Press Secretary, Kenneth Odusola-Stevenson, asked the chairmen and their councillors to vacate their offices and hand over to Heads of Local Government Administration in their councils.

However, the State House of Assembly, at the parliamentary meeting of its members, said it has received a brief of unsubstantial compliance with the Executive directive of the state government by the ex-chairmen whose tenure of office had already elapsed.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon.Olatunji Oshati Emmanuel, said that the chairmen have refused to vacate office after the August 30, dissolution by the state government.

The committee chairman said the sacked chairmen were yet to hand over to the respective local govt to the Head of Local Government Adminstration (HOLGA)

Emmanuel said their refusal to vacate their offices has “created an undue, needless, and unnecessary vacuum across the 18 Local Government Areas.”

The chairman said that the assembly has resolved that ” the erstwhile Local Government Chairmen should forthwith Handover fully, to the Head of Local Government Adminstration (HOLGA) of their respective Local Government Areas, without any further delay.

“That any further delay in compliance with this state government’s directive by the ex-chairmen will be taken as a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the state Government.

” This shall be viewed as an aberation to the constitution and a gross insubordination to the authority of the government, which the state House of Assembly will treat as a grave infraction in all ramifications.”

Emmanuel, therefore, directed the chairmen to do the needful without further delay.