Investigations by Ika Weekly has however revealed that the information, as given by
some persons in the LGA, especially by some serving members of the
administration at the Ika South Council, relating to the expiration of the suspension
order and subsequent resumption of office of the chairman after 3 months, which
ordinarily was to end last week Thursday, February 11, 2010, were untrue, as a
reliable source at the Delta State House of Assembly disclosed that the
committee set up to investigate the financial activities of the embattled
chairman was yet to summit its findings to the House.
Also, some legal practitioners in the area who spoke
to Ika Weekly argued that there was
no way the suspended council chairman could have resumed office without the
express permission and recall by the State House of Assembly which placed the
suspension on him in the first place. One of the lawyers submitted that “since
it was the House of Assembly that passed a resolution suspending the Ika South
executive chairman, his recall must follow the same process; that is, the House
will also pass a resolution recalling him or lifting the suspension. The power
of recall lies solely with the House. The chairman cannot return to his duty
post merely because 3 months have elapsed. He must remain out until the House
deems it right for him to resume duties. It must be emphasized here that no
single individual, no matter his or her position, on his own, can lift the
suspension. The chairman remains suspended until the House deems otherwise” he
explained.
Some members of the public who spoke to Ika Weekly were of the view that the
suspended chairman should not hasten to return back to office as according to
them he should wait for the outcome of the investigations being carried out by
the committee of the House, put
together to look into the financial books of the council for the period he was
in charge. One of them cautioned the chairman to resist the temptation of applying
wrong approaches to have his position back. “The chairman should not allow
political expediency or anybody to stampede him into making the wrong move. In
my opinion, what the State House is doing is carrying out routine oversight
functions, as a way of bringing sanity into local government administration
which has been bastardised by over
greedy politicians. He should therefore keep his cool. If he is confident that
his hands are clean, God will vindicate him, no matter the forces trying to
pull him down, but if he is eventually found wanting, he should face the
repercussion.”
Another of the
respondent charged the State House of Assembly to expedite action on the
investigations as according to him, the prevailing atmosphere in the local government area is
negatively impacting on the development of the area. He also cautioned
political elites against over-indulgence in themselves and only thinking of
their interest, saying that without the people they cannot be where they are.
He therefore urged them to always put the interest of the people over and above
their selfish interest, saying that their selfishness disposition has
contributed to the parlous state of the nation’s economy.
Leave a Reply