Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Osun State has berated the House of Assembly on the suspension of Chairman of Ife North Local Government Taiwo Orosanya.
The Assembly, after its resolution at the session presided over by the Speaker, Timothy Owoeye, on May 4, suspended Orosanya for two months for misappropriation of funds.
NBA faulted the resolution suspending Orosanya, stressing the Assembly abused its powers.
A letter by the association addressed to Osun Assembly, dated May 7, said: “With utmost respect, the Assembly does not possess the power it purports to wield in suspending the Ife North Local Government chairman.”
“From the available facts, we understand that the parliament of the Ife North Local Government laid some allegations of gross misconduct before the Assembly, against the chairman, which the Assembly … investigated and found to be true.
“However, contrary to what the law requires, the Assembly … went beyond its powers to usurp the functions of the elected parliamentarians of Ife North Local Government by directing the embattled chairman to proceed on suspension for two months.
“We are not oblivious of the fact that the Assembly relied on “Section 11 of the Osun State Local Government Areas (Creation and Administration) Law, 2015” to impose the suspension verdict on the chairman.
“We, however, wish to assume on behalf of the Assembly that the reliance was an oversight, as the provision is no longer alive. It had long been killed and buried by the Assembly itself.”
The association said, “Section 11 was enacted in 2015 to be an additional subsection to Section 32 of the Local Government (Administration) Law, Cap. 72A, Laws of Osun State, 2002.
“It was not meant to be an independent provision of Osun State laws on local government, but an appendage of the aforementioned Section 32.”