Ondo caretaker chairmen resume duties amid court order.

Ondo caretaker chairmen resume duties amid court order.

The interim management committees appointed for the 18 local government areas and 33 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu have resumed duties despite a court order barring the governor from swearing them in.

An Akure High Court presided over by Justice Yemi Fasanmi had granted an interim Injunction filed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which sought to restrain the defendants from inaugurating the committee.

Defendants in the suit were Governor Akeredolu, the speaker of the Ondo Assembly, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

The PDP had asked the court to restrain the defendants from inaugurating any person or persons not democratically elected as member(s) of caretaker committees to administer the affairs of the local councils and the LCDA pending the determination of the interlocutory Injunction in this suit.

However, before the PDP secured the injunction, the appointed interim management committee for the council and the LCDAs had been cleared by the state Assembly.

It was gathered that the caretaker chairmen were asked to resume duties based on the screening and oath administered during the Assembly screening.

Government sources said the PDP’s injunction has become an academic exercise as it could not stop an action already taken.

Another source said the court injunction was sponsored by some APC chieftains who want to cause a crisis in the state ahead of the party primary for next year’s governorship election.

The source said the plan by the APC chieftains was to stop Governor Akeredolu from installing his preferred successor.

Speaking at a press briefing, the caretaker chairman for Irekari LCDA, Hon. Steve Otaloro, said he was committed to running an open government that encouraged active participation of various communities.

Otaloro said he would resume duties Monday adding that he already took oath of office during the screening by lawmakers.

He stated: “I am going to involve the people. By involving the people, the LCDA can achieve greater progress and ensure that the dividends of democracy reach every citizen.”