The Chairmen of the 18 local government councils in Edo State have described their suspension by the state House of Assembly as a nullity, adding that it’s based on nothing in the eyes of the law and a contempt against the order of the court.
The aggrieved council bosses led by Newman Ugiagbe, the Chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government Council, were reacting to their suspension by the state House of Assembly on Tuesday.
According to the council chairmen a court judgment had among others granted them “a declaration that section 10(1) of the Edo State Local Government Law, 2000 conflicts with the provisions of Section 7(1) and (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended) and thus unconstitutional, ultra vires, null and void and of no effect whatsoever to the extent that it provides that upon the 1st defendants action, request or otherwise, the Edo State House of Assembly by its resolution so direct the 1st defendants action to dissolve all of the democratically elected 18 local government councils of Edo State of which the claimants are chairmen on or before the expiration/lapse of the tenure of three years stipulated under the said Edo State Local Government Law, 2000.
They disclosed that a reminder of the court judgement was served on the Speaker of the House of Assembly granting an interim order restraining the defendants from “interfering with, obstructing and disturbing the claimants exercise of their Constitutional rights over all assets and funds allocated to them from the federation account.”
In his reaction, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Samson Osagie, said that the lawmakers acted in order and that the outcome of the findings of the panel of inquiries set up to investigate the activities of the council chairmen will determine who finally gets axed among them.
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