Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Councillors in Ogun State, yesterday, barricaded the entrance to the House of Assembly in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, to protest the resolution of the Assembly suspending all elective office holders across all the local governments.
The councillors, who stormed the Assembly complex at about 8a.m, prevented lawmakers and workers from gaining entry into their offices.
The legislature had, last week, passed a resolution suspending and inviting all the local governments officials over allegation of financial misappropriation.
The executive arm of the government subsequently ordered the freezing of accounts of the local governments pending the conclusion of investigation by the House.
But, the councillors, armed with placard invaded the House to demand a lift of the suspension.
Speaker Suraj Adekunbi incidentally ran into the protesters but managed to gain entry into the Assembly complex.
The protesters, however, charged at his convoy and rained expletives on him for presiding over their suspension.
Adekunbi, who later alighted from his vehicle, told the protesting counsellors to find a better way to address their agitations, saying calling him names would not solve any problem.
Azeez Oloyede from Abeokuta South East Local Council Development Authority, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said they were surprised at the position of the Assembly at a time the issue of local government autonomy was being addressed.
On the allegation of financial misappropriation, Azeez told the speaker that they had not received any correspondence of any allegation against the administration of the local government before the decision was taken.
He said they disregarded the rumour since no letter was addressed to them, only for them to be attacked by career officers at the local governments when attempts were made to resume at their offices.
“We heard the rumour that we are suspended, why is it that when the issue of local government autonomy is being addressed is when you’re suspending us from office?
“Till this moment, there’s no allegation against us and before we can be suspended, was there any allegation against us? Not at all. We don’t even believe that because up till now, we have not received any letter to that effect and when we got to our various offices, we were harassed by local government workers and career officers.
“As far as we are concerned, there’s nothing like suspension. What is our offence that warrants this kind of rumour that we, the legislators and chairmen, are suspended?” Azeez said.
The speaker, who later spoke with journalists, said he was surprised to see the protesters at the Assembly complex and added that the Assembly acted within its own power.
He advised the councillors to wait for communication from the executive arm of government.
He insisted that the Assembly had received a lot of petitions against the administration of local governments and that he had brought the same unofficially to the notice of the chairmen.