Makinde Sacks Elected Council Chairmen
Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has sacked all elected chairmen of local government and local council development authorities in the state despite court judgment restraining him from dissolving the councils .
The governor’s Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka in a statement said that the elected chairmen comprising 33 local government chairmen and 35 local Council Development have been directed to hand over to their Heads of Local Government Administration (HLA) or most senior directors in their councils.
Also, an embargo had been placed on all local and state government accounts.
“That all local government authorities, local council development authorities be dissolved with immediate effect.
“That all local government chairmen are to hand over to their Heads of Local Government Administration (HLA) or the most senior directors in their local government areas and councils.
“That all boards of parastatals and corporations be dissolved and that embargo be placed on all local and state government accounts until further directives”, part of the statement.’’
The local council chairmen who are all All Progressives Congress (APC) members, were elected in May 12 last year in an election which was boycotted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But in a swift reaction, chairmen of local government and local government and local council development authorities have rejected Makinde’s action, describing the move as “unconstitutional, unwise, unexpected and too hasty for a new government that is yet to find its feet”.
The state ALGON chairman, Prince Abass Aleshinloye, in a statement said it, “will seek all democratic and constitutional means to correct this illegal act”.
They argued that it was illegal and a contempt of a subsisting court injunction against any dissolution of the councils as ordered by Justice A. A. Aderemi of High Court 2, Ibadan, Oyo State., on May 6, 2019.
They appealed to all duly elected local government chairmen, councillors, supervisors and Oyo State citizens in these respective councils to remain calm and be peaceful
Their sack comes despite the Oyo State High Court order issued on May 6 which restrained the governor and the House of Assembly from suspending or removing elected local government chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors in the state.
The court, presided over by Justice A. Aderemi, also restrained the state government from freezing or withholding the bank accounts of the councils while their tenure lasts.
In taking the decision to sack the council bosses, Makinde may have relied on the Oyo State Local Government Law 2001 (as amended) which empowers the governor to dissolve elected local government administrations and appoint caretaker teams.