Oyo lawmakers extend council chairmen’s tenure

The Oyo State House of Assembly yesterday granted Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s request to extend the tenure of the 33 councils and 35 Local Council Development Authorities (LCDAs) chairmen by four months.

The tenure of the caretaker chairmen expired on Tuesday.

Ajimobi’s appointment of 11 caretaker chairmen for councils and LCDAs that were affected by a lawsuit stopping their appointment on the grounds that some of the territories were wrongly transferred to different council areas in the creating of the LCDAs was also granted.

The case was instituted by some community heads (Baales) in Oyo town

A federal high court in Abuja recently vacated the order in respect of the conduct of council election in the state.

Two letters written by the executive and read during Tuesday’s plenary by the Speaker, Michael Adesina Adeyemo, had requested for the renewal of the caretaker chairmen’s tenure.

They also requested for the appointment of new caretaker chairmen for the 11 local councils and LCDAs that were yet to have caretaker chairmen in the past four months.

After reading the letter, Deputy Speaker, Musa Abdulwasil said the tenure extension was needed so as not to create a vacuum in the councils’ administration.

Segun Olaleye then seconded the motion on the grounds that it would help to prepare for the council elections within the four months.

The House, however, directed the new caretaker chairmen to report to the Clerk of the House’s office with photocopies of their credentials for screening by the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters today while the committee was directed to submit its report