By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Government on Wednesday directed the suspended caretaker chairmen of the 18 Local Governments and 33 newly-created Local Council Development Areas to vacate their offices in line with a court order.
Also, it directed the Heads of Local Government Administration in the councils and LCDAs to retrieve government property in the possession of the suspended caretaker chairmen.
In the directive which was contained in a circular from the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, signed by Alonge Adewale for the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, government frowned at the refusal of some of the suspended chairmen to vacate office despite the court order.
It was titled, ‘Re: Indefinite suspension of the appointment of caretaker committees of Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in Ondo State.’
According to the circular, “It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in the state by a court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals in these former positions are still parading themselves in that posts.
“Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/ LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all legal matters relating to this subject.
“Furthermore, I have also been asked to request all HOLGAs to retrieve without delay, all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs with these former Caretaker Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and other members and to safely keep them within their respective Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.
“Kindly give the content of this letter the urgent attention it deserves, please.”
An Ondo State High Court, sitting in Akure, the state capital, had earlier stopped the inauguration of the 51 caretaker chairmen.
Sequel to the court’s order, the concerned persons were stopped from performing their responsibilities in their respective offices.
The suspended caretakers committee chairmen were nominated by the departed Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who also sent their list to the state House of Assembly for screening and approval.
But the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party approached the court to seek an order to restrain the inauguration of the nominees.
Following the passage of Akeredolu, aged 67, who died eight days ago on Wednesday, December 27 while undergoing treatment for prostate cancer in a German hospital, Aiyedatiwa was sworn in as the substantive governor of the state.
