The Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State has accused the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia of flouting a court order with the appointment of caretaker local government chairmen.
The party’s state publicity secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, levelled the allegations in a statement issued and made available to journalists in Makurdi on Thursday.
Governor Alia had released a list of caretaker committees of eight people in each of the 23 local government areas of the state.
Recall that Governor Alia had approved the suspension of the 23 council chairmen who were elected under the immediate past administration of Samuel Ortom based on the recommendation of the state assembly which probed into their activities.
The chairmen who were sworn in on June 29, 2022, for a two-year term had earlier proceeded to the National Industrial Court holden at Makurdi and got a judgement restraining the state government), by themselves, agents, successors, or privies, from dissolving them from office before the expiration of their tenures.
The PDP in the state said that even though the judgement of the court was not appealed against by the state government, it is regrettable that the decisions of the state high court have been disregarded.
“The council chairmen through their lawyers had proceeded and commenced contempt of court proceedings against the government of Hyacinth Alia and the Benue State House of Assembly, serving on them variously and separately Notice of Consequence of Contempt Proceedings, on 27th June 2023, and had also approached the High Court of Benue State seeking through an ex parte application and a substantive suit to have the Benue State Government restrained from interfering with their lawfully vested mandate and tenure of office, both of which I’m addition to other recent orders of court recently in same vein were granted.
“All of those orders of court did not deter the Benue State Governor from going ahead in impunity to order the suspension of the duly elected local government council administrations.
“PDP decries this open showing of contempt for the rule of law which is the open preference of Governor Alia in his dealing with the local government tier of administration, as it bodes grave ill for the quest to sustain and deepen constitutional democracy as the lawfully adopted form of government in Nigeria,” the statement read in parts.
The party described the moves by the state government as not only an affront to the judiciary but also a direct attack on the democratic rights of the people of Benue State.
“PDP reminds Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue State Government that the judiciary is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, and its decisions must be respected and upheld by all.
“The appointment of caretaker committees in open disregard of subsisting court orders is not only illegal but also negates the principles of democratic governance, which he swore on oath to uphold,” Iortyom said in the statement.
