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| Suraj Adekunbi |
The Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, Ogun Chapter has described the news going round that, its members have been suspended as rumour, illegal, null and void.
ALGON stated this in a communique issued at the end of its meeting on Saturday.
The association said, “We would like to make it crystal clear that the purported rumored suspension of the LG and LCDA political functionaries by the Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is a mere rumor and if it’s found to be true cannot stand the test of time as it’s illegal, unconstitutional and was done in bad faith with no regards for the wish of the people that elected 57 LG /LCDA Chairmen, 57 Vice Chairmen and over 300 Councillors not to mention the 57 appointed Secretary to the LGs / LCDAs.
“That Ogun State made a great error in suspending the LG / LCDA Chairmen and invites the same as well as the Leader of the House for investigation, ALGON would have expected the investigation before suspension”.
The association castigated the Assembly saying, “Ogun state House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi connived with the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to take away all revenues belonging to the LG and LCDA which create inability to generate revenue for the needed development for LG and LCDA”…
The Ogun State Assembly had on Friday announced the suspension of all elected officials in the LGs and LCDAs in the state with directive that, all their Leaders and Chairmen appear before it on Monday to defend pending petitions against them among others.
Read the full communique of the ALGON below:
ALGON OGUN STATE REACTS TO THE PURPORTED RUMOUR OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY SUSPENDING THE LG / LCDA CHAIRMEN, DIRECTS ALL CHAIRMEN AND OTHER POLITICAL FUNCTIONARIES TO IGNORE THE RUMOR AND CONTINUE WITH THEIR NORMAL DUTIES
Rising from its meeting today 1st June 2019, the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON Ogun State Branch, has reacted to the purported rumour going round the social media that the Ogun State House of Assembly has suspended all the chairmen and other political functionaries in the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state in order to allow for investigation on allegations levelled against them on gross misconduct and misappropriation of public funds. The same rumour has it that the House later directed the suspended officials to hand over powers to the Head of Local Government Administration in their respective Local Government and Local Council Development Areas.
We would like to make it crystal clear that the rumoured suspension of the LG and LCDA political functionaries by the Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is a mere rumor and if it’s found to be true cannot stand the test of time as it’s illegal, unconstitutional and was done in bad faith with no regards for the wish of the people that elected the 57 LG /LCDA Chairmen, 57 Vice Chairmen and over 300 Councillors not to mention the 57 appointed Secretary to the LGs / LCDAs.
We would like all political functionaries and general public to note and be guided as follows:
1. That Ogun State made a great error in suspending the LG / LCDA Chairmen and invited the same as well as the Leader of the House for investigation. ALGON would have expected the investigation before suspension.
2. That Pursuant to Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, 2011 as amended, the Local Government Council is established as the third tier of government. The section has not given State House of Assembly nor the Governor the power to suspend or remove a democratically elected Local Government Chairman, therefore if the rumor is found to be confirmed otherwise, then the whole excise would have no effect whatsoever.
3. There were precedences of case to justify our stan. We refer to the case of Ekiti State Governor Vs Prince Sanni Olubunmi (2017) 3 NWLR (Part1551), where the state Governor, who purportedly relied on some sections of Ekiti State Local Government Administration (Amendment) Law, 2001 removed the democratically elected local government chairmen and officials in a radio announcement, the Supreme Court held that the provisions of the state law relied upon was in violation of Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution and cannot stand by virtue of Section 1(3); meaning that the suspension and eventual removal was illegal and unconstitutional.
4. We are very disturbed to hear a purported rumor that Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi would act unconstitutional to such extent knowing fully well that the same House of Assembly in the last 8 years led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi has never contributed any meaningful development in term of bill that will enhance the LG / LCDA in the state rather the Ogun State House of Assembly members led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi has only been known to be a mere rubber stamp to the Senator Ibikunle Amosun Administration. They know quite well that the Local Government and LCDA in Ogun State were not funded by the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun in which he was speaker for close to 8 years. Instead of Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi to speak the truth to his boss the Governor, he would rather settle for kick backs, this explain the sudden wealth he is currently enjoying to the detriment of the development of the Local Government and LCDAs.
5. That Ogun state house of assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi knew for a fact that the government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun failed to fund but starved the LG and LCDA to its present poor position and the LG and LCDA have made several appeal to the House of Assembly to intervene and nothing was done.
6. That the Ogun state House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Ruraj Adekunbi connived with the Government of Senator Ibikunle Amosun to take away all revenues belonging to the LG and LCDA which create inability to generate revenue for the needed development for LG and LCDA, the statutory revenue includes:
i. Signage
ii. Park and Garages
iii. Tenement rates
iv. Market ticketing
v. Land use charges
vi. Mask and many others
1. Ogun State House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi are well aware of the following fact:
i. That Ogun State LG and LCDA has never received any allocation or funding from the state Government in the last 32 months of the LG / LCDA inception.
ii. That the only payment received by each LG and LCDA were the project grant of N2,000,000 per month which was paid only for 7 months in the entire 32 months spent so far.
iii. That Statutory Chairmen Official Vehicles were not given whereas all political office holders and appointees across the State have official vehicles. This includes but not limited to the Commissioners, Special Advisers, members of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, Magistrates and Judges.
iv. Statutory Furniture Allowance unpaid,
we are aware that the Commissioners, Special Advisers and Assembly Members have all been paid their statutory furniture allowance. To our surprise, only the LG/LCDA Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, Councillors and Secretaries to the Local Government & Local Council Development Areas were unpaid in the entire State.
v. That Ogun State LG and LCDA Chairmen were paid a paltry of N229,000 monthly while the House of Assembly members go home with millions of Naira monthly; each members of the house also receives N2,000,000 as monthly PADEM while the Speaker Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi receives N10,000,000 monthly.
1. That the House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi are well aware of this fact and chose to connive with the State Government to impoverish the Local Government and denied the grassroots and the rural communities their right to the dividends of democracy.
2. We are therefore very suspicious of the actions of the 8th Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi for deciding to suspend the democratically elected LG and LCDA Chairmen and inviting the same purported suspended Chairmen and the leader of the house for investigation, we believe that the house of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi is doing so for their selfish and personal interest.
3. We are more concerned that 8th House of Assembly led by Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi were instrumental to many deficiencies in the last government and we hope that their intention was not to begin the same with the newly sworn in government.
4. ALGON Ogun State hereby calls on our amiable Governor, Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun to be wary of character like Rt Hon Suraj Adekunbi and others who may not mean well for the state by ignoring the signage of the purported bill / resolution allegedly seeking to suspend democratically elected political office holders in the LGs and LCDAs, the 3rd tier of the Government PROTECTED by the Nigerian constitution.
5. We call on all well meaning Nigeria and every good indigenes of Ogun State to rise up for the defence of this undemocratic and illegal act being perpetuated by the 8th State Assembly led by Rt Hon Adekunbi.
6. ALGON Ogun state would like to assure our Governor His Excellency Prince Dr Dapo Abiodun of our readiness to work with him wholeheartedly for the success of his administration for the development of our dear state till the end of our term in October 2019.
7. In conclusion therefore, ALGON Ogun State hereby calls on all Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, Councillors and SLGs of LG and LCDA to proceed to their offices and continue with their jobs, be calm, be law abiding. The house of Assembly lacks constitutional power to suspend or remove democratically elected Local Government Chairmen
8. Thank you all.
e – Signed
ALGON Ogun State
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