By Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin
The panel of inquiry set up by Edo State government to ascertain the culpability of the suspended chairman of Etsako West local government council, Mohammed Alasa, for allegedly masterminding a protest against late chairman of the council, Kadiri Hassan, has indicted him.
The late chairman was on his hospital bed when some youths led a violence protest to the council secretariat, demanding his removal for alleged ill-health.
Hassan died few hours after the protest and his deputy, Alasa, was sworn-in as substantive chairman on Tuesday, 2 June, 2015. However, he was suspended moments later, following the allegation that he masterminded the protest against the former chairman.
Governor Oshiomhole had while inaugurating the panel of inquiry charged its members to look into the immediate and remote causes of the protest which occurred at the premises of the local government council secretariat and make appropriate recommendations in good faith to the extent that such recommendations would help the government to avoid a repetition in future.
Chairman of the panel, Nosa Osifo, while presenting its report to the state Deputy Governor, Pius Odubu, who received it on behalf of the governor, said findings showed that Alasa actually sponsored the protest against late Kadiri with a view to forcefully taking over the council.
“That morning, the purported student leaders held a meeting at the residence of Alasa. From there, they went to the police station before proceeding to the council secretariat,” he said.
The panel also recommended that there was need for equity and fairness in the zoning of political offices between Auchi and Uzairue people.
The report however exonerated Students Union Government of the Auchi Polytechnic.
Receiving the report, the deputy governor commended the panel for a job well done and promised that the government would make its decision known after studying the report.
Members of the panel included Itohan Okungbowa, Osazee Ojo, Francis Uwaifo, and Marcus Onobun.