A member of the 14-member elect of the Edo State House of Assembly, who were not inaugurated when Governor Godwin Obaseki made a proclamation for the assembly on June 17, 2019, Dr Washington Osifo, on Tuesday.
He said that the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, as well as the House of Assembly risk contempt of court for supporting the recent caretaker committees inaugurated by Governor Obaseki to run the 18 local government councils in the state.
Osifo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stressed that the inauguration of the recently appointed liaison officers by the governor is to run the 18 councils instead of conducting elections, is “unconstitutional, illegal and a contravention of the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended”.
The inaugurated lawmaker elect added that since Governor Obaseki governor enjoys immunity, the Commissioner and the lawmakers could be held liable for the infractions of the governor.
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Speaking at a press conference in Benin City, Osifo who is a former Commissioner for Education said the Obaseki administration did not continue the projects initiated by his predecessor and that his actions had been more of theories than practical.
Osifo who was flanked by political leaders, human rights activists and others, said the action of the governor contravened Sections 1 (20(3) and 7 (1) of the 1999 constitution.
“Accordingly, in the light of the valid and subsisting judgments of the Supreme Court which has resolved this issue and more importantly, the judgment of the High Court referenced above, in which the Governor and the Edo State House of Assembly were named parties, the Governor has no right whatsoever to disobey these judgments by purporting to “handpick” “nominate” or “recommend” the persons he purports “appoint” as members of a “caretaker committee” or “liaison officers” in the 18 local government councils in the state.
”More fundamentally, the Governor’s move amounts to contempt and it is punishable accordingly. It is expected that the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State will do the needful and advise the Governor accordingly.
“This is because, it is the A.G that would be docked for contempt if the chips are down, in view of the Governor’s immunity.
”However, same cannot be said of the Governor’s contraption called “Edo State House of Assembly”, if they lend themselves, as they have always done to the disobedience of these court judgments by accepting any names of such persons and purportedly “clearing” and “approving” them for “appointment” as they have purportedly done.”
On continuation of projects, Osifo said “in the health sector, the five star hospital built by the last administration was the first phase, where is the second phase that would have given us another 200 bed structure, the water storm project was just the first phase checking the erosion in the state capital where is the second phase to continue the project.
”We can say building malls is not a bad idea but how can you convert a library into a mall and built opposite a secondary school?”.
Governor Obaseki, it would be recalled, penultimate week inaugurated liaison officers for all the councils in the state as the elections to fill the vacancies in the executive and legislative structures of the councils could not hold as scheduled last years.
