Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Dr. Washington Osifo, has said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Edo State and members of the State House of Assembly risked contempt of court for backing the recent appointment of liaison officers by the state governor, Godwin Obaseki to run the 18 local government areas instead of conducting election into the third tier of government.
He said the action of the governor was contrary to the provisions of Nigeria’s constitution and rulings of the Supreme Court, adding that since the governor enjoys immunity, the Commissioner and the lawmakers could be held liable to the infractions of the governor.
Addressing a press conference in Benin City, Osifo who is a former Commissioner for Education in Edo, said the Obaseki’s administration did not continue the projects initiated by his predecessor and that his actions have been more of theories than practical.
Osifo who was flanked by party leaders, human rights activists and others said the action of the governor contravened Sections 1 (20(3) and 7 (1) of the 1999 constitution.
Accordingly, he said in the light of the valid and subsisting judgments of the Supreme Court which had resolved the issue and more importantly, the judgment of the High Court referenced above, in which the Governor and the Edo State House of Assembly were named parties, Obaseki had no right whatsoever to disobey the judgments by handpicking, nominating or recommending persons he purportedly appointed as members of a caretaker committee or liaison officers in the 18 local government councils in the state.
“More fundamentally, the governor’s move amounts to contempt and it is punishable accordingly. It is expected that the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State will do the needful and advise the Governor accordingly.
“This is because, it is the A.G that would be docked for contempt when the chip is down, in view of the governor’s immunity.
“However, same cannot be said of the governor’s contraption called “Edo State House of Assembly”, if they lend themselves, as they have always done to the disobedience of these court judgments by accepting any names of such persons and purportedly “clearing” and “approving” them for “appointment” as they have purportedly done.”
On continuation of projects, Osifo said, “in the health sector, the Five Star hospital built by the last administration was the first phase, where is the second phase that would have given us another 200 bed structure, the water storm project was just the first phase checking the erosion in the state capital where is the second phase to continue the project.
“We can say building malls is not a bad idea but how can you convert a library into a mall and built opposite a secondary school?”
