All council chairmen from the 23 local government areas of Benue State have vowed not to comply with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive to suspend and remove them from office.
The move comes after the state’s House of Assembly recommended to Governor Alia the suspension of the 23 LGA chairmen, in order to facilitate an investigation into their financial activities.
In response, the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs (BLGCA) issued an order on Friday instructing the council chairmen to hand over their responsibilities to the most senior staff members in their respective councils.
However, the chairmen, speaking on Saturday in Makurdi, rejected the instructions by the state lawmakers and the BLGCA. Chairman of Guma LG and Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) Benue State chapter, Mike Uba, conveyed their collective stance, declaring that they would not yield to illegitimate demands, as doing so would be a disservice to the state.
Uba emphasised that they were duly elected into their positions, along with their councillors, on April 30, 2022, for a constitutionally mandated two-year tenure scheduled to end on April 30, 2024. He expressed confusion over why the state government would seek to curtail their tenure prematurely without providing valid reasons.
“We categorically state that we do not acknowledge the purported suspension from office presented by those making such claims. Furthermore, we are under no obligation to comply with any directives emanating from it,” he stated.
The chairman further asserted that as Chief Security Officers of the 23 local government areas of Benue State and leaders within the state, they are committed to upholding peace, law, and order.
He affirmed their roles as chairmen, vowing to resume their duties at their respective offices as usual and protect the mandate entrusted to them by the people.
