By John Odunjo
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has suspended caretaker chairmen of the 18 local government areas and 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs)nin the state.
The suspended Caretaker Chairmen, who are to remain suspended until determination of the case against them in court, are to submit all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs.
The suspension of the caretaker chairman was contained in a letter by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and signed by Alonge Adewale.
The letter read: “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 the LGAS and the LCDAs 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 (HOLGAs) 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 ail 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 LGA/LCDAs with these former Caretaker Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and other members and to safely keep them within their respective LGAS/LCDAS.
An Akure High Court presided over by Justice Yemi Fasanmi had granted an interim injunction in the matter filed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which sought to restrain the late governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, from inaugurating any person or persons not democratically elected as member(s) of caretaker committees to administer the affairs of the councils and LCDAs pending the determination of the interlocutory injunction in this suit.
Justice Fasanmi later barred the caretaker chairmen from operating after they resumed office on the excuse that they had been sworn in before the order was granted.
However, one of the caretaker chairmen, who pleaded anonymity, said they had secured a stay of execution against the court order.
