LG chair suspended in Edo, faces probe panel

Godwin Agbodion, the chairman of Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, has been suspended following allegations of financial mismanagement and other administrative irregularities.

The state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, announced his suspension while addressing members of the Local Government Executive Council and councilors yesterday at the Government House, Benin City. The governor said, “We have tried in the past to call the chairman to have a good working relationship with his executives.

We have decided to set up a committee of enquiry to investigate these allegations, both financial and non-financial and in the provisions of the appropriate legislations of the Local Government law, I have decided to exercise the powers vested in me to suspend the chairman during this period for the committee to investigate all the allegations and submit the report to me.

“So with immediate effect, the chairman is suspended and a committee of enquiry is set up. In line with the rules, the vice chairman will act as the chairman of the local government. I direct the suspended chairman to stay away from the premises of the local government.

When the committee is ready to sit, the committee will invite you and you will have ample opportunity to defend yourself against all the allegations. “For now, we all have an issue in hand subject to the findings of the committee.

So I have called you here as chairman, vice chairman and some of the councilors, I advise you to desist from doing things that will lead to violence or in any way lead to destruction.”