The Chairman of Owan West Local Government Area in Edo State, Godwin Agbodion, has been suspended over misappropriation of funds.
Agbodion’s suspension was announced on Wednesday, April 15, 2015 by Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomole while addressing members of the Local Government Executive Council and Councilors at the Government House, in Edo State.
The Governor’s statements read thus;
“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. If anybody does anything that leads to rioting or protests or anything that will disrupt the peace of the community, the person will be exposing himself because the full weight of the law will be brought to bear,” the governor said at the meeting.”
Governor Oshiomhole, further stressed that it is the responsibility of all to ensure peace and security in the state having followed the provisions of the law which provides for the suspension of the Chairman in the face of allegations.
The Governor said, “While the Chairman is on suspension the Vice Chairman will reserve all the powers and privileges of the Chairman. Your brief is straightforward, it is to provide leadership and perform those functions that the Chairman usually performs and you must avoid his own mistakes, you must ensure that you do not in any way do anything that will bother on financial mismanagement. You must follow due procedure in award of contract or in any business that you want to do.”
Vice Chairman, Owan West Local Government Area, Hon. Reginald Okuns will act as the Acting Chairman pending the outcome of the investigation by the Committee of Enquiry.
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole has set up a 4-Man Commission of Enquiry to investigate the allegations leveled at the Chairman. Inaugurating the Commission in his office, Governor Oshiomhole said, “We decided to set up this committee on the provisions of Section 20, sub-section 11 of the Local Government Law as amended.
