Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan
The Oyo State House of Assembly has warned two disqualified nominees for the post of local government Caretaker Committee Chairmen to stop parading themselves as council chiefs or face an arrest.
Similarly, the House read a riot act to one Akeem Aransi to stop parading himself as the council boss of Lagelu West Local Government Development Area.
The House during the screening exercise had cleared Aransi but was never sworn in by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
Investigation shows that the state government intends to substitute his name with one Abiodun Oladeji. But both are laying a claim to the coveted seat.
Speaking on the development, the House Speaker, Right Honourable Michael Adeyemo, said the process is developing.
“If you are cleared but not sworn you are not a chairman. If you are sworn in but not cleared you are not a chairman.
“When you have not completed the process, you have not taken the oath of office, you cannot parade yourself or act,” the Speaker said.
The speaker however pointed out that the executive has the prerogative to change names.
Disclosing that a letter had been received from the Executive concerning it on April 6, he said the lawmakers could not treat it because that day was not a sitting day.
On the two disqualified nominees from Irepo council and Asabari council development area, the Speaker said lawmakers have taken their stand but the House still needed to hear from the executive arm on the issue
He said: “We have to talk when they are here. We cannot be talking in a vacuum”.
The matter was directed to the House Committee on Ethics and Proceedings to report to the House in the next two weeks.
The Speaker said that any of them who paraded himself as the chairman of the affected councils should be arrested.
Raising the issue, Hon. Gbenga Oyekola representing Atiba state constituency said to his utter amazement the nominees for Irepo local council and Asabari local government development area whose nominations were disqualified by the House had been sworn in.
Contributing, the lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North state constituency, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, pointed that the issue borders on the integrity of the House.
In his submission, Hon. Segun Olaleye representing Ibadan North 11 stressed that each arm of government must be respected within its constitutional responsibility.
The House resolved to invite the Secretary to State Government, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and others concerned.
Maintaining the independence of the House would not allowed its independence to be trampled upon, the House resolved that; “As far as those councils are concerned there are not chairmen”
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