You Can’t Disobey Supreme Court – Ifaluyi-Isibor Tells Gov Okpebholo

Former Edo State Commissioner for Digital Economy, Science and Technology, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, has accused Governor Monday Okpebolo of going contrary to the Supreme Court ruling.

Naija News reported that Governor Okpebholo justified the suspension of the 18 local government chairmen for sending millions to their party leaders monthly.

In an interview with News Central on Wednesday, the former Commissioner, under former Governor Godwin Obaseki, argued that the suspension did not follow the local government laws.

“There is a way to impeach a local government chairman. It is a process as enshrined by the Edo State local government laws. It is not an event that happens by 12 midnight or that happens in 10 minutes. It is a process. And all through these purported impeachments, none of them have followed that process.

“Even the same local government laws that we are discussing submit that when a local government chairman and the vice are to be impeached, after the councilors have had their briefings, a panel is set up, a seven-man panel is set up, and after all that has happened, and they have resolved to impeach the chairman, they send that resolution to the State House of Assembly.

“Upon receipt of that resolution, two-thirds members of the House of Assembly have to decide the merits or demerits of the resolution, and they are now the final authority to decide if the impeachment will go on or not,” he said.

Ifaluyi-Isibor urged the federal government to seize allocation to the 18 local governments until the State Government obeys court rulings concerning the suspension.

“So it is a process. And those who have crafted these laws understood the processes. And I’m wondering why we’re having to excuse this. And all that misinterpretation and throwing a blind eye to the irregularities, to the inequalities performed by the Edo State government. I think we owe the Edo people and we owe Nigerians the truth. And we must be honest about it. Politics cannot just be centered about individual. It must be centered about the people and the overall welfare of the people. Mr. Monday Okpebholo is supposed to superintend over Edo people and he swore an oath to promote peace and to ensure the security of the people.

“The law will have to take its course. And I want to appeal to the federal government and also to the Ministry of Finance. No funds should be sent to local government councils in Edo State until normalcy is restored. We must fix culpability where it is. Where there are irregularities and illegalities, we must address it. A governor cannot on his own disobey the Supreme Court, disobey court orders, and to us, it is ok because he appears to be a member of our political party. We must submit ourselves to the law,” he added.