Oshiomhole Counters Fagbemi, Says Suspended Council Bosses Are ‘Bad Guys’

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has described the suspended 18 local government chairmen in the state as ‘bad guys’ who deserved their their punishment.

The former governor of the state spoke in his home in the state on Friday in his reaction to the controversy that have trailed the suspension of the local government bosses and their management.

The State House of Assembly had  suspended the LG chairmen following Governor Monday Okpebholo’s allegation of insubordination, and mismanagement of funds against them.

The suspension has generated serious controversy in the country with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, weighing in on the matter, by suggesting that the action of the state Assembly is illegal and unconstitutional.

The AGF cited the July 2024 landmark ruling of the Supreme Court which guaranteed the independence of the 776 local governments in the country.

Speaking, Senator Oshiomhole said Governor Okpebholo had by his action stopped the financial haemorrhage in the 18 local governments, accusing the suspended LG bosses of sending funds belonging to the councils, to the immediate past governor of the state,  Godwin Obaseki.

Oshiomhole described the suspended chairmen as ‘bad guys’ hailing the decision of Governor Okpebholo to wield the big stick against them.

He said Governor Obaseki as the new sheriff in town took the best decision by asking the LG chairmen to go home.

The senator said, , “People already know that there is a new Sheriff in town. He is stopping all the bad guys and stopping the bleeding that Edo was going through.

“It is not a secret that Local Government Councils were paying huge amounts of money to his predecessor (Godwin Obaseki), and he says ‘stop’, not while I am here. We want the money to be used to develop the localities.”

The magazine reported that Fagbemi kicked against the suspension of the chairmen, saying only elected councilors in the 18 councils have the power to suspend or remove the Chairmen.