Ekiti State House of Assembly has reinstated eight Local Government Chairmen and their Councillors elected on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
The unanimous resolution was reached at Thursday’s Assembly plenary where it was resolved that the Chairmen and Councilors should be reinstated.
This decision was followed by a petition filed by the ALGON Chairman, Mr. Dapo Olagunju on behalf of the chairmen appealing to the Assembly for their reinstatement.
The Assembly had on December, 18, 2018 suspended indefinitely all the 16 LGAs Chairmen and 177 Councillors to pave way for forensic audit of the councils’ account over alleged financial impropriety.
They were indicted by the report of the Assembly Public Account Committee saddled with the responsibility of probing finances of the Councils.
It was gathered their reinstatement followed the adoption of the reports of the House Committee of Public Petitions submitted by it Chairman, Mr Adegoke Olajide.
The eight reinstated LGAs Chairmen and Councillors were: Ijero, Moba, Gbonyin, Ado and Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Ekiti South West and Ekiti West.
Other eight embattled chairmen and their councillors in Oye, Ise/Orun,Ekiti East, Ikere and Efon, Ido/Osi, Emure and Ilejemeje Local Government remain suspended for further forensic investigation.
Presenting the report of his committee, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petitions, Mr Adegoke Olajide said the Chairman of the Ekiti ALGON, Mr Dapo Olagunju on behalf of others wrote a petition appealing for reinstatement.
“The appellant on behalf of the 16 indicted LGAs Chairmen appealed to the Assembly to passionately look into their cases with a view to reinstating them back in office.
” The decision of the Public Petitions Committee to consider the appeal of Mr Dapo Olajide on behalf of all the 16 indicted LGA Chairmen is premised on the imperative of ensuring stability of the third tiers of government within the state.
“It is the opinion of the committee that the LGA officials who obtained clearance from the supervising Ministry before embarking on questionable projects can be reinstated,” Olajide said.
Speaker Funmiyi Afuye commended the committee for a work well done, describing it as a great job.
Other business at the Thursday’s plenary was the first reading of the Ekiti State Fiscal Responsibility Bill, 2019.
The Assembly thereafter adjourned plenary sitting to July 15.
