Gobe! LG Caretaker Committee: Osun PDP faults Aregbesola

Osun PDP Chairman

The peoples Democratic party, PDP Osun State Branch has called on the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to urgently commence processes towards the return of democratically elected officials at the local government levels in the state.

The party in a press statement yesterday in Osogbo signed by the State Chairman, Hon. Soji Adagunodo said the return to Caretaker and executive secretary arrangement in the administration of the local government system in Osun State is not only a misnomer but a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

The party recalled that the last local government election in the state conducted by former Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola has been the last seen in the state.

The party said Governor Aregbesola acting under a strange law and with the connivance of the state house of assembly has foisted fraudulently so, a new caretaker government over the administration at the local councils as recently announced by the state house of assembly.

Citing a land mark judgment of the Supreme Court, the party reminded Aregbesola that Governors have no constitutional authority to appoint caretaker committees for local governments. The party further expressed regret that the main objectives for the creation of local government system in Nigeria which includes political participation, effective service delivery, resources and grassroots mobilisation are now in serious jeopardy in Osun state if absolute autonomy and full democratization are not granted to the local councils.

They called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure financial and political autonomy for the local governments while the accruing benefits should be withdrawn from states that fail to democratize their local government system.

“Governor Aregbesola should reconstitute the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) and also allocate funds for the conduct of Local Government election as a matter of utmost importance because caretaker committee is totally alien to the Nigerian Constitution. It is also of prime importance to implement the need for the outright removal of joint State and Local Government accounts that has led to the blatant misappropriation and mismanagement of funds meant for Local Governments by the Governors” the party stated.