Posted by By Osaro Okhomina on
SECURITY beef-up was, weekend, ordered by Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State around the State Assembly Complex and homes of key members of the State House of Assembly
BENIN CITY - SECURITY beef-up was, weekend, ordered by Governor Lucky Igbinedion of Edo State around the State Assembly Complex and homes of key members of the State House of Assembly following renewed threat of arson and attack by some unknown persons in protest against last week's ammendment of the State Local Government Law 2000 that reduces the tenure of Council Chairmen and other elective officers from three years to two years.
Besides, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. David Iyoha yesterday insisted that there was no going back on the adoption of the ammendment to the Local Government Law and the suspension of five members of the House over their alleged unruly behaviour and walkout during proceedings at the House.
Also yesterday, the state executive of the PDP led by Dr. Tony Omaoghae has waded into the suspension of members of the House and the reduction of the tenure of Council Chairmen as it has called for an emergency meeting of the Council Chairmen, Councillors, leadership of the House and leaders of the Party in the state.
Meanwhile, the council chairmen under the aegis of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) are meeting to deliberate on the recent development and come out with a position paper.
Vanguard gathered yesterday that the tension triggered by the protest staged by Councillors last week against the reduction of their tenure through the adoption of the Ammendment to the Local Council Law by 17 out of the 24 members of the House took a new dimension, weekend, following the circulation of threat letters by an unknown group warning legislators to reverse the action or the Asembly complex would be razed down.
It was gathered that most of the members of the Assembly reached by the unknown group had petitioned the State Police Command and the state governor over the issue and a security surveillance was ordered to forestal such act and reduce the rising tension in the state.
A source close to one of the leaders of the House told Vanguard that though his boss was yet to receive such threat letter, there is apprehension among members over their security, "most of them have made their position known that no matter the threat, the constitutional right of the House must be respected. We observed that security was beefed up, it is not unconnected with the adoption of the ammendment", the aide said.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr David Iyoha, yesterday insisted that the amendment by the Assembly to the Local Government Act and suspension of five of its members was final and would resist any act of coersion to rescind the decisions.
He said: "Those who oppose the reduction of tenure should feel free to sponsor another Bill to further ammend the Law and the House will look at it especially when the ammendment is in the overall interest and benefit of the Edo people."