Suspended Kwara vice chairs, councilors sue govt

By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Suspended 16 Kwara state vice chairmen and councilors on Monday said they have dragged the state government to court for extension of their suspension for another six months.

The elected council workers also alleged that their salaries had not been paid in the last six months of their suspension.

Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had some weeks after assumption of office suspended all the elected council workers, accusing the 16 local government chairmen of misappropriation of funds.

Also the state government last week extended their suspension for another six months.

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the state capital on behalf of the affected politicians, Yusuf Salihu Mohammed said that the “case in court can still be amicably settled if the governor respects the rule of law and does the needful in this circumstance.”

Mr. Mohammed urged people of good conscience, traditional rulers, religious leaders to intercede of their behalf.

He berated the state government for suspending the vice chairmen and councilors having not found them complicity in the alleged misappropriation of the council funds.

Said he: “For the past six months, investigations being carried out by the government on the local government councils only found the 16 council chairmen wanting. Nothing was found against the speakers.

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The vice chairmen and other councilors were not invited for questioning.

Yet they were left on suspension. “The extension of our suspension to seek another way out against our resolve to remain calm, hence, our decision to go to court. We are now in court believing that the judiciary, which is the last hope of the common man will wipe our tears for us. We do not regret approaching the court because our initial suspicion that our suspension will be extended was confirmed December 17th, 2019 when the governor pronounced a six month extension of the suspension order.

“He has further ordered the stoppage of the half salary being paid to the vice chairmen and councilors. That is the state we are now.

Ordinarily, in the absence of the chairmen who have been accused of wrong-doing, the vice chairmen should, under the law, take charge. But
the governor did not allow this. He placed the vice chairmen under suspension for no reason.”