The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has criticized the decision of the Edo State House of Assembly to suspend the chairpersons of all 18 local government areas in the state.
The assembly announced the suspension on Tuesday, citing alleged gross misconduct. This action followed a petition by Governor Okpebholo, who accused the chairpersons of failing to provide financial records of their councils to the state government. The suspension, which also applies to the chairpersons’ deputies, is set to last for two months.
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Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Mr. Fagbemi described the move as unconstitutional. He asserted that state legislatures do not have the authority to suspend or remove council chairpersons. That power, he said, resides solely with local government legislatures.
The Attorney-General’s remarks come amid ongoing debates about the autonomy of local government administrations and their relationship with state authorities.
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