Just In: Osun Assembly Suspends Embattled Osogbo LCDA Chair, Appoints New Customary Court Of Appeal President

The Osun State House of Assembly has ordered the embattled Chairman of Osogbo South Local Council Development Area, Hon. Abdulhakeem Olaoye to vacate his seat as the Chairman of the LCDA for a period of two months.

The Assembly also rejected the vote of no confidence passed on the Chairman of Olounda Local Government of the state, Hon. Munirudeen Anisu.

This came as the lawmakers confirmed the appointment of Hon. Justice Foluke Eunice Awolalu as the substantive President of Osun Customary Court of Appeal.

The Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye quoting section 281 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria said, “The appointment of a person to the office of the President of a Customary Court of Appeal shall be made by the Governor of the state on the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, subject to the confirmation of such appointment by the House of Assembly of the state”.

He held that the State House of Assembly relying on the above mentioned section of the Constitution confirmed the appointment of  Hon. Justice Awolalu as the president of Osun Customary Court of Appeal.

The Speaker at plenary after receiving the report and recommendations of the joint Committees on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Judiciary, Legal Matters, Public petitions and Human Rights also asked that the Chairman should handover to the Vice-Chairman for a period of two months.

He emphasised that the joint Committees of the House having examined and investigated various allegations levelled against the chairman of Osogbo South via-a-vis his response, found him wanting of the allegations of gross misconduct.

According to the Speaker, “The Chairman, having failed to comply with section 3, 4A (iv) and (v) of the “Guidelines for the Administration of Local Government Areas, Local Council Development Areas, Area Councils and Administrative offices in the State of Osun, 2018” should vacate his office for a period of two months beginning from Monday 13th January 2020 to 12th March 2020.

“The suspension doesn’t remove the chairman as a Parliamentarian, he is still  representing his people as a councillor, the Vice-Chairman will be there in acting capacity, after the expiration of the suspension, the chairman will return to his position as the chairman”.

Owoeye on the allegations of gross misconduct levelled against the chairman of Olounda, stated that there was no credible evidence to pass a vote of no confidence on the chairman.

The Speaker held that the purported notification of vote of no confidence passed on Hon. Anisu is retroactive and incurably bad, saying the date of the notification is at variance with the date the Councillors purportedly held plenary.

He noted that the House also rejected the vote of no confidence on the chairman of Olounda because the four out of the eighth Parliamentarians who passed it could not provide credible evidence that they held any plenary sitting after the resolution of the House of Assembly passed on Monday 6th January, 2020 among other findings of the joint Committees of the House.