The suspended chairpersons of the 27 local government areas of Imo State have refused to vacate their offices.
Members of the state House of Assembly had at a plenary on Thursday suspended the chairpersons indefinitely and instructed them to immediately hand over to their deputies, adding investigation into their alleged financial recklessness would continue.
The lawmakers expressed their displeasure with the suspended council chairpersons who refused to honour a summon they (lawmakers) had issued to them to appear at the plenary on Thursday.
They described the council chairpersons’ action as “disrespectful”.
But findings by Saturday PUNCH on Friday revealed that the suspended chairmen had not handed over to their deputies as instructed by the lawmakers.
When our correspondent visited Owerri municipal council headquarters, the suspended chairman was not sighted and his office was locked.
A civil servant at the council told our correspondent that the suspended chairman had reported to the office in the morning before leaving for a meeting.
He told our correspondent that the suspended chairman did not hand over to his deputy before leaving for the meeting.
A deputy chairman of one of the LGAs in Owerri zone, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said his boss had not handed over to him as instructed by the lawmakers.
One of the suspended chairmen told our correspondent in a telephone conversation that the suspended chairmen were meeting on Friday to find a lasting solution to the problem.
He expressed optimism that the feud between them and the lawmakers might be resolved on or before Monday.
PUNCH
