Thirteen Chairmen of Local Government and Local Council Development Areas have been reinstated by the Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday, November 12, 2020.
This was a sequel to the lifting of indefinite suspension placed on the chairmen on November 3.
The House of Assembly had cited their failure to submit a comprehensive list of graders, bulldozers, flat-bed trucks and other earth-moving equipment in their domains as requested.
The Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Honourable Olusegun Popoola, had presented a report on a letter sent by the Oyo State Forum of Caretaker Chairmen, asking the Assembly to reconsider the suspension of 13 of its members.
The report presented by Hon. Popoola indicated that the #EndSARS protests, which took place across Nigerian states, prevented them from gaining access to the House of Assembly to submit the requested reports.
Some of them also claimed to have submitted their reports to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, since the circular requesting for submission of the report came through the Ministry.
Popoola said further that the affected Caretaker Chairmen had submitted the requested report.
This presentation prompted the lifting of the suspension.
Lifting the suspension order, Speaker of the Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, said that the request made was for the house to know the condition of equipment, as a number of roads across council areas required grading.
“Our decision was not to witch-hunt any local Council or Caretaker Chairmen.”We are determined to deliver good governance at all times, and I want all government functionaries to have that in mind.
“We are satisfied with the performance of Governor Seyi Makinde. We will be going on oversight functions to all the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas soon to monitor their projects.
“Let it be known today that the Oyo State House of Assembly will always stand on the side of the people.
“We shall not compromise on good governance,” Ogundoyin stated.