Benue: Alia Insists LG Chairmen Suspension Stands

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has disclosed that the decision to suspend council chairmen and their councillors stands despite threats by the chairmen not to vacate their offices.

Alia made the disclosure in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, issued on Sunday, in Makurdi.

The governor expressed shock that the suspended chairmen were acting as if they had ‘political immunity’.

He denied knowledge of the court judgement being brandished by the suspended council chairmen.

The 23 council chairmen had on Saturday dared the state government to continue in office, not minding their indefinite suspension.

Addressing journalists on Saturday at the Peoples Democratic Party secretariat, the state chairman of the Association of Local Government, Mike Uba, described their suspension as illegal and vowed not to heed the directive.

Reacting to their threat, Governor Alia, said he was surprised that the council chairmen had chosen to react this way and insisted that the chairmen had only been suspended from office, to pave the way for a seamless investigation, not sacked.

According to the statement, the media aide said that the governor acted on the correspondence from the State Assembly that recommended the suspension of the council chairmen, pending when they will complete their investigations into cases of corruption alleged to have been committed by them.

The governor denied knowledge of any court judgement, adding, "Even if there is any, it is merely speculative, especially that a cause of action has not arisen as at the time the chairmen are talking about a court order or judgement.

“The governor is a man who obeys the law; he will never do anything to breach a court order. So, even if there exists a court order not to sack council chairmen, at least there is none barring anyone from investigating them.

“But are they insulated from appropriate sanctions by the extant constitutional provisions? They should come to equity with clean hands,” he wondered.

He queried further, “Perhaps, they may have been misled into assuming that they are entitled to political immunity as ‘elected’ council chairmen”.

He urged the council chairmen to be patient, as they will be afforded the opportunity to defend themselves before the House of Assembly committee, stating that those who will not be found guilty of the charges will be reinstated, insisting that they remain suspended from office pending the outcome of the investigation.