Aiyedatiwa orders LGA caretaker chairmen in Ondo to vacate seats

The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has directed caretaker chairmen of the 18 Local Government Areas and 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) of the state to vacate their seats in line with a court order.

In a memo dated January 2, 2024, and signed by Adewale Alonge on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the government also directed the Heads of Local Government Administration in the councils to manage their affairs pending the election of substantive chairmen later in the year.

The memo was made available to journalists on Wednesday.

The Ondo State High Court, Akure, on November 30 last year ordered the state government to stop the inauguration of a caretaker committee for the local councils.

Justice Yemi Fasanmi, who gave the order in a motion for interlocutory injunction filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also restrained the inauguration of any person or persons into the caretaker committee in any local government or local council development area pending the determination of the substantive suit.

READ ALSO: Aiyedatiwa makes first appointments as Ondo governor

The memo read: “It has come to the notice of the Ministry of Local no Government and Chieftaincy Affairs that despite the suspension of all recently appointed Caretaker Committee members for Local Government (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State by a Court of competent jurisdiction, some individuals in these former positions are still parading themselves in that posts.

“Consequently, I have been directed to request the Heads of Local Government Administration (HOLGAs) in all the LGAs/LCDAs to immediately assume responsibility as head of their respective Local Government Areas/LCDAs in acting capacity pending the resolution of all Legal matters relating to this subject.

“Furthermore, I have also been asked to request all HOLGAs to retrieve without delay, all assets and properties of the LGAs/LCDAs with these former Caretaker Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, and other members and to safely keep them within their respective Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas.”

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