AKURE - A NEW twist was added to the controversy trailing the sack of the 18 local government chairmen and their councillors in Ondo State yesterday as those affected defied the dissolution order of Governor Olusegun Mimiko and resumed in their offices with full security back up, allegedly approved by the Presidency.
The state Commissioner of Police, Charles Dawodu, confirmed the Presidency's approval of additional security for the council chiefs, saying he had orders from above to provide Police protection for the embattled council chairmen.
However, the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) thwarted their resumption bid as they met their offices under lock and key following a stay-at-home order by the union to the council workers.
Also reacting to the development, Governor Mimiko appealed to the people of the state not to resort to violence over the matter.
The governor in a statement said:
"I, therefore, want to appeal to all stakeholders in the matter to resist the temptation to take laws into their hands and resort to self help and violence.
"The development for which we yearn in this state cannot take place in an atmosphere of violence and disorder. On our part, we shall continue to take all necessary steps to prevent and arrest the breakdown of law and order."
But, the chairman of the NULGE Caretaker Committee, Comrade Joshua Maigida Irapakob who ordered the workers to stay at home said in a statement that information reaching him showed that there may be a likely breakdown of law and order if the local government council bosses resume at the council secretariats.
Governor Mimiko had dissolved the councils about three weeks ago citing a pending court order which was ignored by the former governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, before the council election which produced the council chiefs in December last year.
Criticism had trailed the governor's action which was described as unconstitutional and a breach of the local government law which forbade the governor from dissolving the councils except with recourse to the state House of Assembly.
Police protection ordered from above
Vanguard gathered, and this was confirmed by the state chairman of ALGON (Association of Local Governments of Nigeria), Chief Adedayo Omolafe in Akure that the presidency has waded into the dissolution order and directed the Inspector-General of Police to ensure the protection of the council chairmen as they resumed for duties yesterday.
Some of the council chairmen who resumed in their offices and spoken with include Yejide Ogundipe of Ile Oluji/Oke Igbo; Afolabi Adesoji of Idanre and Ebenezer Alabi of Akure North council areas and they described the development as a victory for democracy.
They vowed not to surrender the mandate given them by their people.
Omolafe said that the I-G has directed the state Commissioner of Police, Charles Dawodu to deploy policemen in the councils in the state "to secure our protection as we resume for duties today".
He said that the local government chairmen would continue to be law abiding and would fight their cause constitutionally just as he denied that the chairmen had dragged the governor to court over the dissolution.
According to him, all the chairmen are ready to discharge their responsibilities to the electorate.
"The councils have not been dissolved. The only authority that has the power to dissolve the local governments is the State House of Assembly. They are yet to do anything in that regard. So, the councils stand as they were; no dissolution of local government anywhere in Ondo State as at now.
Omolafe said he was resuming for duty on the order of the State House of Assembly and the Presidency.
The Chairman pointed out that the council chiefs across the state would not force the doors open but would rather go home and wait for further directives from the Presidency.
He said "initially, the governor said the councils stand dissolved, but at a point, the Presidency ordered the IGP to get us back into our offices and that was sent through a message to the Commissioner of Police who sent it to the DPOs. They know that the action taken by the governor is illegal."
Gov Mimiko appeals for calm
Meanwhile, the governor has assured the people of the state that he would look into all areas of dispute and proffer solutions to them as soon as he settles down and put in place structures of governance.
Mimiko pointed out that "I earnestly plead with you to shun all forms of violence. Let us continue to be our brothers' keepers; there is work to be done. Let us roll our sleeves. We must be ready to work to raise ourselves out of the clutches of poverty and hopelessness. We will continue to provide the required leadership. We will be fair to all."
The tension that culminated in yesterday's action by the council chairmen heightened last Tuesday following a threat by them to resume in their offices, just as the House of Assembly complex was deserted by the lawmakers who were supposed to be in session after a two-week recess.
Armed policemen were then drafted in all the local government council secretariats across the state as a measure of preventing both the sacked chairmen and the council legislators from gaining entrance to their offices

hummmmmm.