Council chairmen resume work as plots to remove them thicken
IN obedience to the order of an Edo State High Court, some local government chairmen, yesterday, resumed work for duties and carried out various official assignments, despite attempts in some councils by suspected thugs to prevent some chairmen from resuming.
Vanguard gathered that some officials at the top level of government have concluded that the charmen must go but how they were going to execute the plan remains unknown.
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In Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, the chairman, Tajudeen Alade was in the office where he attended to official matters and addressed some workers, where he told them that there was a need to uphold the autonomy of councils in the area as that would bring more development to the people.
He appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to remain a father to all, noting that the three tiers of government need one another to ensure that the dividends of democracy got to all.
According to him, “I will keep appealing to the governor of Edo State that he remains the father of Edo State, politics is over, we are conscious of the three tiers of government and no tier of government can succeed in isolation, we must work together, political gimmicks must be jettisoned this time because what our people need is development.
“Despite the paucity of funds, throughout the period so far, we have been able to manage the resources of our council to ensure that good governance is brought to the people of Akoko-Edo.
Autonomy will guarantee the freedom to the people, it will provide the pathway for economic prosperity, local governments can build good roads, befitting health centres for our people, intervene in agriculture and make farming easy for our farmers.”
In Orhionmwon, the Press Secretary to the chairman, Roy Osariemien said the situation was calm and that the councilors were on the same page with the chairman of the council, Newman Ugiagbe.
In Etsako East LG, the chairman, Princess Benedicta Atoh for the second day did not go to the office because of the toxic environment suspected thugs created in the secretariat at Agenebode.
The Press Secretary, Ben Atu told Vanguard on phone, yesterday that “Suspected thugs barricaded the entrance to the secretariat on Monday, it was the workers union, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) that protected the office of the chairman from being destroyed and the chairman does not want any violence but will allow the rule of law to take its place.”
