Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Edo State House of Assembly has directed the chairmen of the state's 18 local government councils to submit detailed payment schedules for members of the Edo State Security Network as part of efforts to resolve the lingering dispute over the payment of stipends to operatives.
The directive was issued during plenary after lawmakers considered concerns over alleged irregularities in the payment of allowances to members of the security outfit. The Assembly set July 24, 2026, as the deadline for all local government chairmen to submit comprehensive payment records for scrutiny.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Blessing Agbebaku, explained that the Edo State Government had previously organised training programmes for members of the Edo State Security Network, after which successful participants were issued certificates qualifying them to receive monthly stipends.
According to the Speaker, the Assembly's intervention is intended to verify payment schedules, establish the actual number of trained personnel receiving stipends, identify those who have not been paid and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of funds allocated to the security network.
He stressed that the exercise should not be viewed as an attempt to witch-hunt any local government council but rather as a necessary step toward resolving the lingering payment dispute and strengthening the state's community-based security initiative.
The lawmakers expressed concern that delays and inconsistencies in the payment of stipends could affect the morale and operational effectiveness of the security personnel, whose role has become increasingly important in supporting conventional security agencies across Edo State.
In another development, the House directed the Edo State Local Government Service Commission to immediately reinstate Ogbemudia Osemwengie Friday into the local government service and pay all outstanding salaries, entitlements and benefits due to him.
The resolution followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Public Petitions, which investigated a petition challenging his compulsory retirement from service.
The committee found that Ogbemudia, who was born on July 29, 1956, joined the Edo State Local Government Service on May 4, 2001, but was compulsorily retired before attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60 years or completing the required 35 years in service.
Lawmakers concluded that his lawful retirement date should have been July 29, 2026, instead of July 8, 2016, when he was directed to leave the service. The House subsequently instructed the Clerk to communicate its resolution to the appropriate authorities for immediate implementation.
The Assembly also recorded another major legislative milestone by passing the Edo State Revenue Harmonisation Bill into law.
The new legislation establishes a unified Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) account through which all revenues and public funds belonging to the state will be collected, managed and accounted for. It also repeals existing laws that previously allowed ministries, departments, agencies and government parastatals to maintain separate revenue accounts.
Lawmakers said the new legal framework is designed to eliminate revenue leakages, improve transparency, strengthen financial accountability and ensure more efficient management of public funds across government institutions.
The harmonisation of revenue collection is expected to enhance government oversight, simplify revenue administration and boost the state's internally generated revenue by ensuring that all collections pass through a centralised system.
The passage of the bill forms part of the Edo State Government's broader fiscal reform agenda aimed at modernising public finance management, improving accountability and increasing the efficiency of revenue collection.
The Assembly's decisions on security funding, public service administration and revenue reforms underscore its commitment to strengthening governance, improving financial management and enhancing service delivery across Edo State.
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