EDO STATE OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Edo LG bosses remain suspended, says Oshiomhole

*asks IG to prosecute former Speaker

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that the Chairmen of Akoko-Edo and Orhionwhon Local Government Areas of the state remain suspended and that the state government will ignore the resolution of the House of Representatives, seeking to reverse the suspension, maintaining that the resolution was passed in bad faith.

The Governor, speaking at the National Executive Committee meeting of the Action Congress in Benin City yesterday also said the Government has written to the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute the former Speaker, Zakawanu Garuba and two other lawmakers, Frank Okiye and Blessing Aigbebaku for using dangerous weapons which include axe, gun, teargas and gavel on other lawmakers.

The House of Representatives had, at its plenary sitting yesterday, by voice vote, passed a motion sponsored by Hon Friday Itulah, for the reversal of the suspension of the Chairmen of Akoko-Edo and Orhionwhon Local Governments; condemn and reverse the impeachment of Hon Zakawanu Garuba as Speaker of the State Assembly and order the Inspector-General of Police and the State Security Service to probe the alleged forgery of the signature of three PDP members of the state Assembly.

However, Comrade Oshiomhole who said he invoked the powers vested in him by the State House of Assembly to suspend the LG chairmen said the action, taken about three weeks ago, is irreversible and that the panels set up to probe the two men would complete its work and if found guilty, they would face the law and if not, they would return to their posts.

On the impeachment of Zakawanu Garuba as Speaker, Oshiomhole said he would not comment on it since the matter is in court. “The principle of separation of power instructs us not to comment on anything that is before a court of competent jurisdiction. I will abstain from abstain from commenting on whether the Speaker was duly impeached or not. The matter is before the court.”

On the order for the IG and SSS to probe alleged forgery of signatures of some lawmakers, he said “the Police and SSS have their brief. They do not require a motion to do their job. The IG is not the IG of PDP and the SSS is not the SSS of the PDP.”

*Asks IG to prosecute ex-Speaker

The Governor who charged the police to do their jobs without fear or favour said, “the day the former Speaker was impeached, he was shown on national television using his gavel as a weapon against some of his members. Another, used axe to chop the head, hand and leg of some of his colleagues while another was spraying teargas on his colleagues. All of them were members of the PDP. These are people who committed great criminal acts against the Edo people using guns, axe and teargas.

“My problem is that the Police have not found it necessary to investigate these people. We have done a letter to the IG not only to investigate but to charge these people to court.”