The Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has dismissed the alleged court judgment claimed by the local government chairmen as “speculative.” The governor’s response was conveyed through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, in reaction to the suspended council chairmen’s refusal to vacate their offices despite their suspension.
The twenty-three council chairmen had defied the state government’s indefinite suspension and challenged the government to take further action.
The state chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Mike Uba, asserted that they would not surrender their mandate to illegality, emphasizing that they were elected, not appointed.
The council chairmen asserted that they possessed a court judgment that prevented anyone from hindering the completion of their tenure.
However, in response to the suspended chairmen’s claims, the governor expressed surprise at their behavior, remarking that they were acting as if they had “political immunity.”
Governor Alia clarified that the council chairmen had been suspended from office to facilitate a seamless investigation into allegations of corruption against them, not to be permanently removed.
The governor stated that he acted based on a communication from the State Assembly, which recommended the suspension of the council chairmen pending the completion of investigations.
While denying knowledge of any court judgment, the governor stated, “Even if there is one, it is merely speculative, especially since no cause of action has arisen at the time the chairmen are referring to a court order or judgment.”
“The Governor is a man who abides by the law; he will never do anything to violate a court order. So, even if there is a court order not to sack the council chairmen, there is none preventing anyone from investigating them,” he added.
He questioned whether the chairmen were truly shielded from appropriate sanctions under the existing constitutional provisions, urging them to approach the situation with integrity.
Alia further advised the council chairmen to exercise patience as they would have the opportunity to defend themselves before the House of Assembly committee.
He emphasized that those found not guilty would be reinstated, but reiterated that they would remain suspended from office until the investigation concluded.
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