Illegal Dissolution of LG Council: A Treasonable Offence – AGF
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has described the illegal dissolution and taking over of local government administration by state governors as a treasonable offence. Fagbemi stated this on Wednesday during the opening ceremony of an event organised by the Nigeria Bar Association in Abuja.
Tijani Gazali, the Director of Civil Appeals in the ministry, accompanied the AGF. They said that some governors and their state assemblies are still dissolving elected local government councils without following the constitution, even though the Supreme Court had said that governors shouldn’t get involved in the running of local government councils and the constitution said that governors shouldn’t be able to do that either.
He also accused the Attorney General and Commissioners for Justice at the state level of not giving legal advice to their governors and called for a stiff penalty against any governor who continues in such an illegal act.
There have been disagreements between some state governors and local government chairmen. Last December, the Edo State House of Assembly passed a resolution suspending all chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government councils of the state for two months.
The house also mandated leaders of the legislative arms to take over leadership of their respective councils. The suspension of the council’s chairmen and their deputies followed a motion moved by the member representing Esan North East One, Isibor Adeh, and seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo Two, Donald Okogbe.
The governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo, had written a petition to the House over the refusal of the chairmen to submit the financial records of their local governments to the state government. Worried by the situation, the Attorney General of the Federation faulted the Edo State House of Assembly for suspending the chairpersons of the 18 local government areas in the state.
The minister said that it was only the legislative arm of local governments that could sack or place council chairmen on suspension. He stated that the current dispensation prohibits any governor from simply removing or suspending local government chairmen without following the due process of law. Fagbemi stated that state houses of assembly lack the power to suspend or remove council chairpersons.