Seven of the 16 sacked local government chairmen in Ekiti State on Monday defied the order by the State Government which directed them to steer clear of their various offices following the dissolution of their executives last Friday.
Our correspondent learnt that chairmen of Ijero, Ido-Osi, Ikole, Moba, Omuo, Ekiti-West, and Efon Local Government Areas, ignored the heavy presence of security operatives in their council secretariats and reported for duty.
They were, however, prevented from entering the gates with their vehicles by the policemen who claimed that they were acting on ‘instructions from above’.
It was gathered that workers in the various councils and the security operatives only allowed the chairmen into their offices and prevented other political appointees and councillors from gaining entrance.
The situation however took a violent dimension in Ado and Ikere Local Government councils as the political office-holders were prevented from entering the secretariat.
It was learnt that some people whose identities could not be readily ascertained, mobilised themselves to the two council secretariats, chased some political office-holders on sight and injured some of them.
The sacked chairman of Efon Local Government Area, Chief Idowu Akinyele, said he decided to resume duty in compliance with the Peoples Democratic Party’s directive to them to disregard the governor’s directive.
Akinyele maintained that since their purported sack had not been communuicated to them in writing, they cannot act on a radio announcement by the Secretary to the State Government.
But Fayemi has warned that the state government would take decisive legal steps if the deposed council chairmen continued to take laws into their hands by hindering workers from performing their lawful duties.
Fayemi, who gave this warning while addressing traditional rulers in the state at their first meeting since his emergence as governor, reiterated that his administration was committed to the rule of law and would not do anything that would undermine it.
The Governor explained that the dissolution was informed by the striking out of the suit filed by the ousted council chiefs and condemned the attempts of the erstwhile chairmen to hinder workers from performing their lawful duties.
Fayemi said his administration was committed to the unity and development of the state and would not compromise on the efforts at maintaining peace in the state.
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