The suspended local 23 government chairmen in Benue State stayed away from their offices on Monday contrary to their vow not to recognise their suspension by state House of Assembly.
The Assembly had last week recommended the suspension of the LG chairmen and councillors to Governor Hyancinth Alia, asking that they should be replaced with with caretaker committees.
The Assembly said the suspension of the LG chairmen was to pave the way for a probe of the allegation that they “connived with the executive councils to mismanage public funds put in their trust.”
But reacting to the suspension at the weekend,the Benue State Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Michael Uba, said the LG chairmen did not recognise the suspension and would resume at their offices on Monday.
On Sunday, the state governor, Alia, advised the LG chairmen to respect the law of the land, noting that their suspension by the Assembly was lawful, while reminding them that they lack immunity.
Our correspondent who visited Makurdi Local Government secretariat observed that neither the chairman nor the councillors were at the secretariat.
Also checks by our correspondent indicated that the chairman of Logo, Guma, Ado, and Otukpo local governments stayed away from their offices.
Our correspondent learnt that the council chairmen rather gathered in Makurdi, the capital city on Monday to strategise on the next move since the state government insisted on the suspension.
When contacted on phone by correspondent, two of the council chairmen,James Oche of Ado LGA; and Amina Audu of Okpokwu LGA, insisted that they had not vacated office.
They insisted that they were elected into office for a two-year tenure which had not lapsed.
The Benue State ALGON Chairman, who is also the Chairman, Guma LGA, Uba, said, “We are taking legal means to solve our problem. Instead of violent ways, we have decided to ressort to legal process.
“I have not handed over to the DGSA and the security in the area is calm. No trouble at all. The DGSA ideally is the next person to me. If I am not around he takes care of the council. I did not hand over the vehicle because they have given us waiver; there is no need.”
Our correspondent reliably gathered that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Julius Okoro, may have intervened in the matter.
But when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, said she was not aware of any intervention by her boss.
