The Osun State House of Assembly on Monday suspended the Chairman of Osogbo South Local Council Development Area, Abdulhakeem Olaoye for a period of two months.
The suspension of the council boss was announced by the Speaker, Timothy Owoeye, at plenary.
He ordered the Vice-chairman to assume leadership of the council for the stipulated period of the chairman’s suspension.
He opined that the Joint Committees of the House, having examined and investigated various allegations levelled against the chairman of Osogbo South via-a-vis his response, found him wanting of the allegations of gross misconduct.
“The Chairman, having failed to comply with section 3, 4A (iv) and (v) of the “Guidelines for the Administration of Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas, Area Councils and Administrative offices in the State of Osun, 2018” should vacate his office for a period of two months beginning from Monday 13th January 2020 to 12th March 2020.
“The suspension doesn’t remove the chairman as a Parliamentarian, he is still representing his people as a councillor, the Vice-Chairman will be there in acting capacity, after the expiration of the suspension, the chairman will return to his position as the chairman”, Owoeye stated.
Recall that parliamentarians in the council had unanimously passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman and subsequently exercised their constitutional powers by relieving him of his position as first among the equals, citing financial impropriety among several other misconducts.
To the chagrin of many discerning residents, therefore, The Osun State House of Assembly on Monday, 30th December, 2019, at plenary presided over by Owoeye ordered the suspension of all parliamentarians in the council for seven days, saying the decision was aimed at preventing the breakdown of law and order.
He also directed the council-manager to take over the affairs of the LCDA.
Owoeye said: “For the purpose of good governance, this House must take a stand to nip in the bud, any other council that may want to tinker with the peace of the people.
“It is the resolution of the Assembly that the parliamentarians should vacate the council for the stipulated seven days for the relevant committees of the House to investigate and advise the House accordingly”.
The house, again on 6th January, came up with a resolution, nullifying the earlier impeachment of the council Chairman, citing faulty procedure.
According to a statement by the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Kunle Alabi, the house resolved that the parliamentarians at the LCDA failed to follow laid down procedure as contained in section 19 (a) (b) (c) and (d) of the State of Osun Local Government Areas (Creation and Administration) Law, 2015 for the removal of the Chairman.
“The Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye at plenary after receiving the report of the joint Committees on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Judiciary, Legal Matters, Public petitions and Human Rights on the matter asked that the Chairman and the Parliamentarians in the council to resume at their offices and not involve in act that could disrupt public peace.
“The Speaker noted that the Parliamentarians have the power to remove/impeach the Chairman but such power could not be exercised without following the necessary procedure.
“He pointed out that it will be absurd for the House of Assembly to proceed to act on faulty procedure, saying the Parliamentarians committed a procedural error by completing the impeachment before forwarding it to the Assembly.
“According to him, the present resolution of the Assembly has not in any way vindicated the two parties and the earliest order asking them not to parade themselves within the precinct of the Council was borne out of the need for peace to reign.
“He added that Parliamentarians have the right to remove or suspend any of its members but the normal process stipulated by the law of the land must be followed appropriately”, the statement reads in part.
Meanwhile, the suspension of Adeoye for the period of two months as announced by the Speaker on Monday, however, came as a surprise to many, considering the earlier position of the house on the report of the joint committee.
