By SIMON EBEGBULEM

BENIN—Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday, dissolved Caretaker Committees in the 18 local government councils of the state, saying the decision was to ensure the enthronement of true democracy at the grass roots.

There are also indications that Governor Adams Oshiomhole may dissolve the state Executive Council this week, ahead of his second term swearing in ceremony scheduled for November 12, 2012.

The lawmaker representing Egor Constituency in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, who raised the issue of tenure of the caretaker committees under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, noted that it would be unconstitutional for the members to remain in office since they were not democratically elected. He, therefore, moved a motion for their dissolution.

The motion was seconded by Emma Okuduwa, the member representing Esan North East II, who equally argued that their continued stay in office was an aberration, adding, however, that the House allowed that due to the circumstance that brought them in. The Majority Leader of the House, Philip Shuaibu, concurred with the argument and thanked the members for their services so far.

Speaker of the House, Uyi Igbe, who commended the Caretaker Committee members for their efforts so far in ensuring governance at the grassroots, admonished them to hand over property of the Councils to the Head of Service.

….As House battles commissioner over traffic fines

BY GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN—Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday, disagreed with the state Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Victor Enoghama, over the operations of Edo State Traffic Management Agency, with the former berating the latter on the collection of levies from traffic offenders.

It, therefore, directed the Traffic Management Agency to stop, forthwith, the exorbitant fines and levies imposed on traffic offenders

The state legislature insisted that the fines and levies were not backed by any law from the House of Assembly but were a creation of the Ministry and traffic agency.

But the transport commissioner, who was in the House for its ministerial briefings and while defending the action of the Ministry and the transport agency, reminded the Assembly that the laws under which they were operating, were passed by the house in 2010.