Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Oyo House of Assembly, yesterday, handed an indefinite suspension to 13 local government council chairmen over their failure to submit reports on the status of earth moving equipment in their domains to the House Committee on Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and State Honours.
The lawmakers pronounced the sanction on the Transition Committee Chairmen at a plenary presided by Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin, in Ibadan, following a report and recommendation by the committee.
Its chairman, Olusegun Popoola, said the report was to ascertain the status of earth moving equipment in 33 local governments and 35 local council development areas (LCDAs) , especially their deployment in repairing roads to ease movement of agricultural produce and passengers, drilling of boreholes and clearance of waterways within their localities.
The report was also to help know which of the eqipment was not functioning and nedded to be replaced towards boosting food security and improvement of revenue generation in the councils.
According to the report, five local governments and eight LCDAs did not comply with the resolution of the House. The local government councils are Ido, Oluyole, Ibadan North East, Itesiwaju and Oyo East, while the LCDAs are Akinyele East, Lagelu West, Soro, Ogbomoso Central, Ogbomoso South West, Ajorosun, Ibarapa North West and Oyo South East.
The committee recommended that the 13 council chairmen should be “placed on indefinite suspension for non-compliance with the resolution of the House on submission of status of earth moving equipment in their respective domains to the House as requested.”
The recommendation was approved immediately.
Speaker Ogundoyin condemned the attitude of the sanctioned council chairmen for not respecting the resolution of the House. Deputy Speaker, Muhamud Fadeyi also described the action of the suspended chairmen as despicable.