JETHRO IBILEKE/Benin

It was a case of hiring and firing on Tuesday in Benin, as Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, suspended Mr. Alhassan Mohammed for two months few minutes after swearing him in as Chairman, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole: hires and fires

The Governor thereafter directed the new Vice Chairman of the Local Government, Mr. Busari Yusuf, to act as the interim Chairman pending the findings of a panel of enquiry to investigate the allegations against the new Chairman.

Speaking Tuesday at the swearing-in ceremony, the Governor said: “I have just performed the task of swearing in the Vice Chairman of Etsako West Local Government as the substantive Chairman of the Local Government following the death of the Chairman, Alhaji Hassan Kadiri who passed away last week Friday.

“This afternoon I have performed a task with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I had the privilege of having to swear in a Chairman and on the other hand I am pained by the loss of someone who worked so hard for this party and who believed so much in his community but what made me even more sad is the fact that there were controversies as to what happened the very day that Hassan passed away.

“Some disgruntled elements whether they were masquerading as student union government officials or they were just touts and thugs, were hired by some persons to organize a protest that was almost turning violent such that they had to bring in the police and even the army to intervene to restore peace in the local government.”

“I am informed that the purpose of this protest was that Hassan on his sick bed should be relieved of his duties as Chairman so that the Vice Chairman could take over his job. I do not think human beings should play God. Today, I am hale and hearty and I thank God for being here to be able to sign what I have to sign, this is not by my strength, it is only by the grace of God. What will become of me in the next one hour I cannot say, I can only pray that I remain strong and healthy and I guess my story is the story of every human being.

“So for me, it is absolutely unacceptable that anyone will be so desperate as to instigate another to protest against a man that is bedridden and admitted in the hospital fighting for his life. Our jobs are worthless without life and all of us we have our dates to depart this planet earth. So, for anyone to organize protest against someone who is bedridden that he should be forced out of office so that another person will get promotion is unethical, and absolutely unacceptable and to publicly organize protest against the sick making unprintable statements, disturbing the public peace and mobilizing people to do things that are capable of leading to riots with the possibility of even death, that, for me, is the height of irresponsibility and I do not think any civilized government will condone that.”

“Therefore in exercise of the powers vested in me as the Governor of Edo State under the Local Government Amended Acts, where there are weighty allegations against Local Government Officers, I have powers to carry out a thorough investigation on those allegations because we know for a fact that to allege does not necessarily mean to prove. Allegations must be proven before any further actions.