The Oyo State House of Assembly has described the letter by members of the legislative arm of Irepo Local Government, Kisi withdrawing the purported suspension of the chairman and vice chairman of the council as ‘irrelevant and uncalled for’.
The House had at last week’s plenary rejected the sack of the council bosses, noting that due process in line with the Local Government Laws 2011 were not followed and as such ordered the chairman and his vice to continue with their lawful duties.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Olagunju Ojo, while reading a letter sent to the House by the councilors during Tuesday’s plenary, said the councilors decided to withdraw the suspension following the intervention of the traditional rulers and council of chiefs in the town.
According to the letter, the councilors said “we are no more interested in the suspension earlier placed on the chairman and the vice chairman because of the intervention of eminent community leaders, especially the Council of Chiefs as well as the Iba of Kisi”, adding that “the chairman and his vice have promised to administer governance according to the rule of law as well as pledged to be of good behaviour and character.”
However, while reacting, a member representing Ibadan North 1, Hon. Segun Olaleye noted that the councilors do not have the powers to suspend the Council bosses in the first place and could not have withdrawn same with the letter.
Ruling, the Speaker noted that the committee set up to look into the matter had not even started its work when the traditional rulers waded in to settle the matter. He thereafter overruled and dissolved the committee set up to investigate the purported suspension.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the House after plenary, the Chairman, House committee on Information, Mr Joshua Oyebanji (Akinyele 1) noted that the decision of the House to reject the sack of the council bosses was based on its illegality.
He said “The withdrawal was uncalled for. What the council legislators did in the first instance was not conclusive. Not that they don’t have right to observe and take steps but the processes were not followed. The Local Government Laws which talked about the removal and/or suspension of elected officers, there are three authorities required to validate the move.
“The first is the local government legislators (councilors), then the state House of Assembly and then the Chief Judge of the state that has to endorse the decision of the two legislative levels. What they first did, they thought it was conclusive, they thought they could do and undo, but because it was unconstitutional and the House of Assembly is in position to punctuate the process and we have done that and we have given the directives that those people should return to their lawful duties.
“Now coming with another letter of withdrawal, I don’t think it is called for. It is not even relevant. Whether they withdrawal or not, but the committee that was set up, which was the committee of LG assigned to look into the matter, they had not even taken any step before the informal intervention came in from traditional rulers of the cities who intervened and they have resolved it informally.
“We will say that, to us at the level of the State House of Assembly, the letter is uncalled for and not relevant to our decision.”
In the same vein, the House has rejected the proxy representation of the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr Wasiu Dauda by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Oyesola Oyedele.
The House had earlier invited the Commissioner, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Transport, the Chairman, Oyo State Transport Management and the General Manager, Oyo State Transport Management to appear to “brief the house on machinery in place for the enforcement of traffic laws as it relates to illegal parking so as to ensure positive parking culture and free flow of traffic in the state.”
In its ruling, the Speaker on behalf of the House insisted that the invitation must be honored in person by the invitees at the next plenary slated for May 16.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
