PeakNews Online
BENIN CITY – Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has suspended the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Samson Osagie, Ph.D., and the Chairman of the Edo State Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Damian Lawani, over allegations of financial misconduct and official infractions.
The suspension was announced in a statement released late Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., who stated that the decision was immediate and necessary for a thorough investigation into the allegations.
Investigative Panel to Probe Allegations
Governor Okpebholo has ordered the establishment of an Investigative Committee to examine the allegations against the suspended officials and make appropriate recommendations.
“The suspension of Hon. Damian Lawani and the Honorable Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice became necessary to enable the government to carry out a thorough investigation into the allegations of financial infractions leveled against them. They are to remain suspended pending the conclusion of the investigation,” the statement read.
Implications of the Suspensions
The suspension of two top officials in the Okpebholo administration raises concerns over governance and transparency in Edo State, as the government attempts to maintain accountability and financial discipline.
Observers are keenly watching how the investigative committee will proceed and whether more government officials may be implicated in the unfolding probe.
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to that the suspension of Samson Osagie, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Damian Lawani, Chairman of the Local Service Commission.
The party said Osagie’s suspension due to allegations of grave financial infractions validates its concerns about alleged reckless financial mismanagement, maladministration and illegality under the leadership of Senator Monday Okpebholo.
