Benue Speaker Explains Reasons For LG Chairmen Suspension Recommendation

The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh has explained that the House recommended the immediate suspension of the 23 Local Government Council Chairmen in the state in line with the provisions of the law.

The law maker said, the recommendation was given due to the glaring cases of misappropriation of public funds and disregard for relevant financial laws.

Dajoh in a statement made available on Sunday in Makurdi by his Chief Press Secretary, Refeal Akume, noted that the recommendation also came up following the consideration of a report on the income and expenditures of the Councils forwarded  by Governor Hyacinth Alia,to the House to investigate the report in line with Section 128(1)(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The Speaker lampooned the embattled Chairmen for their ignorance of the law on which premise they were resisting their suspension from office which was ordered by the House on June 21, 2023 and on which strength the State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs directed them on June 23, 2023 to vacate their offices.

The Speaker noted that “it is appalling that the suspended Council Chairmen are not aware that Chapter 5, Part 2, Section 128 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended empowers the State House of Assembly to cause investigation into any matter it has powers to make laws upon (Section 128(1)(a), especially if such an investigation is for the purpose of exposing corruption, inefficiency of waste in the execution or administration of laws within it’s legislative competence, section 128(2)(b).

“Furthermore, the suspended Chairmen ought to have been aware that Section 7 of the same Constitution which they flagrantly refused to be acquainted with grants the State House of Assembly the powers to make laws for the structure, composition, functions and financing of the Local Government and it was on the strength of this constitutional provision that the Benue State Local Government Establishment law was passed by the State House of Assembly.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Local Government Establishment Law also empowers the State House of Assembly to make recommendations where and when necessary to the Governor for the suspension of Local Government Councils in cases of misappropriation of public funds or Gross abuse of office by any of them.

“It is worthy to restate that the Benue State House of Assembly came up with the recommendation for the suspension of all the Local Government Councils in the State following the consideration of a report on the income and expenditures of all the Local Government Councils forwarded to it by the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and a request to the House to investigate into the matter in line with Section 128 sub 1and 2 of the Constitution.

“The suspension of the Councils was ordered by the House following glaring cases of misappropriation of public funds and open disregard for relevant financial laws such as Financial Memorandum and Financial Instructions by the suspended Council Chairmen and the need for them to pave the way for a smooth and hitch free detailed investigation into their financial records.

“If the suspended Council Chairmen have nothing to hide, they should rather feel free to cooperate with the adhoc Committee set up by the House of Assembly headed by Hon Peter Ipusu in order to prove their innocence rather than playing to the gallery through Press Conferences, knowing fully that if not found guilty, they will be reinstated at the end of the investigations