The Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON), Oyo State chapter, has decried the planned appointment of caretaker chairmen for the 33 local governments by Governor Seyi Makinde.
A statement by ALGON Chairman Prince Ayodeji Abass – Aleshinloye described the plan as tales by moonlight on grassroots democratic governance.
He said the governor’s plan is a tale better told to the un-informed and co-deceptive wreckers of the democratic culture.
The ALGON chairman described democracy as a seed that germinates and develops on the practice and strict adherence to the rule of law and a willingness to entrench the democratic culture by its proponents.
“So far, Governor Makinde’s undemocratic disposition and flagrant disobedience, with impunity, of court orders by illegally dissolving constitutional bodies, elected democratic local government structures, breaches of contractual obligations in Oyo State clearly show a despotic government. Perhaps the governor may want democracy, but it appears his spirit is too weak to take the necessary courageous steps to be on the right path for its evolution.”
Abass-Aleshinloye drew the governor’s attention to the subsisting judgments of the Supreme Court that declared as illegal, null and void, any dissolution of elected local government councils by governors and state assemblies.
“The governor is fully aware of this and the specific judgment of the Oyo State High Court, which re-emphasised same and restrained the Oyo State governor and House of Assembly from dissolving local governments.
“Governor Makinde did not only consciously flout these subsisting court orders/judgments, he also took other dangerous steps by illegally dissolving OYSIEC, a constitutional body with a specified tenure provided by our constitution. To add salt to the injury, His Excellency moved a notch further in acts of illegality by seeking to bribe members, through monetisation, of OYSIEC dissolution which has raised both moral and legal questions as to the reckless use of tax payers’ money for illegal, selfish and partisan ends.
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“This governor continues with reckless abandonment to abuse his oath of office by constantly reiterating he will conduct local government elections into councils next year, even while the tenure of our members subsists. Is this the said people’s mandate, to trample on everything sacred in our constitution? We will not abandon our mandate by the good people of Oyo State, or allow sudden opportunistic advisers of the governor to derail democratic norms, values and culture in our dear state.
“We will not compromise the people’s mandate to us, but only appeal to our dear citizens of Oyo State across the local governments and LCDAs to keep faith with constitutionality. The acts of impunity shall be set aside by our courts by the grace of God, and in expression of the will of the people. The judiciary remains the last hope of the common man and of our constitutional democracy,” he said.
The ALGON chairman warned that any attempt as being contemplated by the governor to impose caretaker arrangements on all the local governments in Oyo State against series of court judgments which his administration has appealed to, shall be vehemently rejected, as this may heat up the polity and eventually lead to a state of emergency.
“The aftermath of this may not be palatable, as his continual and flagrant disobedience to the court judgments may not only lead to the outbreak of law and order, but may end up consuming the governor himself.
“It is advisable at this juncture that the governor gives due regards to the rule of law to which he has sworn to uphold by towing a path of constitutionality in order to forestall a state of anarchy ,” he said.