Kwara State is wholly an All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled state.

The executive, the legislature and the local government administrations are totally under the control of the APC.

Infact there is no traces of opposition in the state as all the 24 members of the state house of assembly and all the 16 local government chairmen in the state are from the fold of APC.

This situation, no doubt encourages mediocrity and ineptitude. Many government officials at both the state and local government levels have the tendency not to be accountable since its a one-party show. Infact, the belief of most appointees is that so long as they remain in the good book of the party's leaders in the state, all will be well with them. And truly this is the situation for now.

A good example of the above scenario was the recent decision of party chieftains in Ifelodun and Isin local government areas of the state to persuade the elected councillors in the two councils to reverse the suspension order placed on the councils chairmen over alleged maladministration.

However, the events of the past few days indicate that the state's approach to governance, especially at the local government level has changed. Specifically, on Wednesday, December 2, 2015, the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed slammed suspension order on eight council chairmen in the state.

The grouse of the governor against the affected council bosses was that they carried out unauthorized recruitment exercise.

And the state's house of assembly did not also hesitate in approving the governor's request to suspend the erring council chairmen.

The governor had at a meeting with all the 16 council chairmen on Tuesday, December 1, 2015 threatened to sanction any of them found to have carried out illegal recruitment exercise.

Ahmed had reasoned that it would be unreasonable for any council chair to carryout recruitment exercise when the existing staff are still being owed up to three months salary arrears.

And true to his words, Governor Ahmed on Wednesday forwarded a letter to the state House of Assembly, seeking approval to suspend eight council chairmen over alleged unauthorized recruitment.

The governor's letter seeking approval for the suspension of the erring council chairmen was read on the floor of the House by the speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad .

The affected council chairmen include those of Moro, Irepodun, Asa, Oke-Ero, Patigi, Ilorin South, Ekiti and Baruten local government areas.

Reading the resolutions of the House, Dr. Ahmad said the House equally mandated its committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to investigate the allegation and report its findings within seven days.

The speaker explained that it was unlawful for the council chairmen to carry out recruitment exercise without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission.

He said the alleged misconduct was contrary to the provisions of the law and assured that the House would carry out thorough investigation to avoid miscarriage of justice.

Members of the House had while contributing to the debate said the governor under Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution has the power to suspend any council chairman for any case of misconduct.

The governor had in his letter to the House said the affected council chairmen despite their inability to pay salaries of the existing workers for which his government had to resort to taking bank loans with high interest rates when the federal government's bailout was not forthcoming still authorised recruitment exercise, thereby exposing the state government to more ridicule and odium.

As at the time of this report, none of the affected chairmen was willing to comment on their plight; but LEADERSHIP Sunday reliably gathered that the chairmen are exploiting political solution to the problem.

They were said to have commenced moves to seek the intervention of the APC leader in the state and Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.