Akure - The Ondo State House of Assembly on Wednesday ordered the recall of the suspended chairmen of nine of the 18 local government councils in the state, barely a week after their suspension.
The affected councils included Akure North, Ose, Owo, Ifedore, Idanre, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Ilaje, Ese-Odo and Akoko North East.
The suspension of the chairmen, according to the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Samuel Adesina, was due to their failure to comply with a directive on the audit of their workers for submission to the house.
However, at the sitting of the house on Wednesday, the Majority Leader, Mr Dayo Akinsoyinu, said the caretaker chairmen had complied with the assembly's instruction.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the recall of the chairmen followed the intervention of Gov. Olusegun Mimiko and party leaders.
A source said the governor on Tuesday invited the lawmakers to a meeting where areas of dispute were sorted out.
The majority leader moved the motion to lift the suspension and it was unanimously adopted.
Commenting on the situation, Mr Banji Okunomo, the Public Relations Officer of Association of Local Government Chairmen, said the chairmen were directed to return to their offices.
Okunomo said the house was only performing its oversight function by asking them to submit the staff audit report, saying "the failure of some of them to comply led to their suspension".
- NAN