The Ibaji Progressive Youth Foundation (IPYF) has dragged the Chairman of the local government, William Obiora Iko-Ojo, to Kogi State High Court over his continued refusal to relocate his office to the statutory premises in Onyedega.
IPYF is challenging the power relied upon by the council chairman to relocate the administrative seat of Ibaji to another local government.
The court fixed September 20 to hear the matter.
Speaking with Kogi Reports in Lokoja on Wednesday, IPYF National President, Comrade Apeh Kelvin, said the group is in court to protect the interest of Ibaji citizens.
Apeh noted that the suit, filed on June 28, seeks the determination of the constitutionality of citing the official Ibaji local government council liaison office and other critical offices in Idah LGA in the face of the provisions of section 7(1-6) and section 14(1-4) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He explained that IPYF sent a notice the Chairman of the local government, William Obiora Iko-Ojo, in February on its decision of its intention to file a lawsuit against him. He said the notice was sent after a protest letter was forwarded to Iko-Ojo last year.
In a notice signed by Apeh and the General Secretary of IPYF, Linus Egwu, the foremost group demanded for the relocation of the local government liaison office from Idah local government back to the seat of Ibaji local government, Onyedega.
“The Ibaji local government area secretariat in Onyedega community is presently unkempt and overgrown with weeds as the LGA Chairman, Williams Obiora Iko-Ojo, has refused to work from the building.
“The secretariat had been abandoned since 2014 due to the bad road connecting the community to other areas and seasonal floods.
“During a political riot in 2011, the old secretariat was razed but the government built a new one around 2014. However, the secretariat has been abandoned since then.
“The current council chairman has been operating from a liaison office in Idah LGA. Ibaji citizens have to travel to Idah before they can see and connect with their elected council officers,” he explained.
Apeh noted that the group is committed to pursuing the case to a logical conclusion.
