Suspened Chairman of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr. Osaro Obazee, has

attributed his suspension from office by Governor Adams Oshiomhole to his closeness to a governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

He also insisted that allegations levelled against him by the State Government were fabricated to get him out of office.

Obazee, who was suspended last September, said that three months after, no panel had invited him to tell him why he was suspended, adding that he had approached a court over what he termed his unconstitutional suspension.

Obazee, who spoke with newsmen in Benin, said Governor Oshiomhole lacked the power to suspend him and that only the Edo State House of Assembly or the legislative council of Oredo council could suspend him.

He regretted the control of local governments by state governors, saying: “If autonomy in all

ramifications is not given to local governments, then local governments should be made like an appendage of state governments, like a parastatal or ministry, so that those going to that office will know that they are going for self-enslavement.”

Obazee said many people had reported him to the governor that he refused to let go of his relationship with Ize-Iyamu and that he was compromised to work for the PDP during the 2015 general election.

He maintained that his crime was that he did not severe his age-long relationship with Ize-Iyamu, adding that he was a liberal democrat. “If the APC brings a candidate I do not know and that I do not believe in, I will support Pastor,” he said.

He also said Oshiomhole lacked the moral right to accuse him of not paying workers’ salary because the governor made local governments in Edo State pay teachers’ salary 100 per cent and that he also coughed out N22.5 million every month as retirement benefits for pensioners.

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