Oyo Assembly berates councillors for withdrawing suspension of Irepo LG council boss

THE Oyo State House of Assembly has described as uncalled for and irrelevant a letter sent to it by the members of the legislative council of Irepo local government, Kisi, on the withdrawal of the purported suspension of the Chairman, Alhaji Asifu Adediran-Sulaiman his vice, Mrs Victoria Ojedele.

The House had at the last plenary rejected the sack of the council bosses, noting that due process in line with the Local Government Laws 2011 were not followed and as such ordered the Chairman and his vice to continue with their lawful duties.

Reading a letter sent to the House by the Councillors during Tuesday plenary, Speaker Olagunju Ojo said the Councillors decided to withdraw the suspension following the intervention of the traditional rulers and council of chiefs in the town.

According to the letter, the Councillors said “we are no more interested in the suspension earlier placed on the chairman and the vice chairman because of the intervention of eminent community leaders, especially the Council of Chiefs as well as the Iba of Kisi,” adding that “the chairman and his vice have promised to administer governance according to the rule of law as well as a pledge to be of good behaviour and character.

But reacting, a member representing Ibadan North 1, Mr Segun Olaleye noted that the Councillors don’t have the powers to suspend the Council bosses in the first place and could not have withdrawn same with the letter.

Ruling, the Speaker noted that the committee set up to look into the matter had not even started its work when the traditional rulers wade in to settle the matter. He thereafter overruled and dissolved the committee set up to investigate the purported suspension.

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Addressing journalists on behalf of the House after plenary, the Chairman, House committee on information, Mr Joshua Oyebanji (Akinyele 1) noted that the decision of the House to reject the sack of the council bosses was based on its illegality.

He said “The withdrawal was uncalled for. What the council legislators did in the first instance was not conclusive. Not that they don’t have right to observe and take steps but the processes were not followed. The LG laws which talked about the removal and or suspension of elected officers, there are three authourities required to validate the move.

“The first is the LG legislators (Councilliors), then the house of assembly and then the Chief Judge of the state that has to endorse the decision of the two legislative levels. What they first did, they thought it was conclusive, they thought they could do and undo, but because it was unconstitutional and the House of Assembly is in position to punctuate the process and we have done that and we have given the directives that those people should return to their lawful duties.

“Now coming with another letter of withdrawal, I don’t think it is called for. It is not even relevant. Either they withdrawal or not, but the committee that was set up, which was the committee of LG assigned to look into the matter, they had not even taken any step before the informal intervention came in by the chieftains of the cities who intervened and they have resolved it informally.

“We will say that, to us at the level of the State House of Assembly, the letter is uncalled for and not relevant to our decision.”

The House, had since ordered the chairman and his vice to resume office and continue with the discharge of their duties accordingly.