*Says constitution review will not achieve anything

Nseobong Okon-Ekong

Oyo State Governor, Mr. ‘Seyi Makinde, has said his government would not comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling on the local government administration, because contrary to the constitutionally recognised 33 local governments, there are additional 35 local council development areas, making it 68, a number he claimed he couldn’t work with.

He, therefore, said the former council chairpersons might have to approach the apex court again to determine which of them should be paid.

However, in a related development, the governor has doubted the possibility of the ongoing amendment to the constitution, saying any amendment to the 1999 constitution without restructuring would be nothing, but a waste of time and as such, an exercise in futility.

The Supreme Court, last month, overturned Makinde’s sack of the council chairpersons in the state. Removal of the 68 council chairpersons, who were elected in 2018, was one of the early decisions of the governor as soon as he was sworn in, in May 2019.

The officials, drawn from the 33 local government areas (LGAs) and 35 local council development areas (LCDAs) and their councillors, were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court also decided that the replacement of the sacked officials with caretaker committees was illegal and therefore fined Mr. Makinde’s administration N20 million.

But the court appeared to favour Makinde by noting that the tenures of the sacked council chairmen and councilors had expired. It, however, ordered that all their outstanding salaries and allowances must be paid with immediate effect.

Speaking to THISDAY at the Government House, Ibadan, Makinde said, “The Constitution of Nigeria recognises 33 local government areas and 351 wards in Oyo State. The previous administration created local development areas and increased the number to 68. We couldn’t work with that, so, we scrapped it and put in place caretaker committees before proper elections were held in the 33 constitutionally recognised local government areas.”

Makinde, who further broke down his understanding of the court judgment, posited that, “What the Supreme Court invariably said is that it is its policy that governors should not dissolve local government administrations. They expected me to approach the court to argue the unconstitutionality of the 35 LCDAs.

“If I had gone to court, it would have taken this length of time for them to reach a decision by which time they would have served out their tenure. They have to go back to court to determine, who among them should be paid. And I doubt if that matter can be decided during my tenure. I may be out of here by that time,” he added.


Defending himself and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), against alleged manipulation in the recent local government elections in the state, in which the PDP won all the 32 local government areas, where elections were held, said it was by choice that he resisted pressure to manipulate the elections.

“I deliberately appointed a Senior Advocate of Nigeria as Chairman of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, because I know he will be independent-minded. I have not even spoken to him after the election. I did not know him before the appointment. People told me it was the first time they are taking part in local government election. Even my own people told me it is not done that way. They wanted us to write figures and announce results. I refused to do that,” he said.

On his position that the constitution review would be an exercise in futility, he said he was ready to stake his future political career on the prediction that nothing fruitful would come out of the exercise,which he described “as an annual jamboree to waste money.”

His words: “If this constitution amendment succeeds, that will be the end of my political career. That is how strongly I feel about the waste of time and one that is going on. Former President Goodluck Jonathan supervised the production of a document, which many Nigerians agreed is the best document for our civil relations, he did not sign it into law, because he thought he was going to return as President. That document is there and this administration has refused to do something about it.”

He explained that true federalism goes beyond resource control, adding: “It is the fundamental of how we develop as a people. We should not say because these people are backward, then, you bring everybody to the same starting line. A country must allow its people to develop at their pace.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/06/06/makinde-i-wont-comply-with-scourt-judgement-on-sacked-lg-chairs/amp/

I dedicate this FTC to Maximus.

Na so this matter go do till this em tenure finish.

He must be joking

Funny country

Be there talking, you can't have my vote for your second time, be ranting till all Oyo state people are finished in the hands of wicked bandits

The governor can not be faulted on this, the Supreme court hasn't really helped matters in cases like this, as most judgement on newly created LGs by States hasn't been definite.

Same supreme court declared the additional 37 LGs and LCDAs created by Tinubu as a incohate, but urged the OBJ led government to release the witheld allocation due to the recognized LGs.

Not surprised. You are following Buhari’s footsteps

Audio govenor, not surprised

Makinde giving it to APC hot hot

USE4A:
I dedicate this FTC to Maximus.

Na so this matter go do till this em tenure finish.

Naija way

Imagine an ordinary governor ooo, where are we going in Nigeria nau

Don't understand this man at all, shey na fulani people go vote you for second time?
Cos the rate he allows his people to be slaughtered is alarming

Maybe his monthly allocation will be pending compliance at the Supreme Court. Don’t try the tyrant, he will give it to you in the language you understand

Give them hot hot

Jimasun:
He must be joking

Joke kò, joko ni

babyfaceafrica:
Audio govenor, not surprised

Then which governor is video?

Make we no even talk LIFELESS Bubu.

Dude got titanium balls!!

The Nigerian judiciary has lost its integrity far long. looking at were makinde is coming from

Imagine...

Audio Governor, He can't send joint task force to flush Fulani out of all the forest in Oyo state he is busy talking about supreme Court judgement.

So the state government and the governor are bigger than the supreme court? What is this man smoking?

Nice one Makinde

Mayniaa:


Then which governor is video?

Make we no even talk LIFELESS Bubu.

all

LCDA’s are political abracadabras which are constitutionally not accepted but GSM has to toil in line with the state legislature cos it’s not the affair of the FG.
No be him fault,na tinubu cause am.

Yjj

No one is obeying court orders so just go ahead.

All our politicians just useless

The governor has not probably understand what we called garnish order. He will soon beg and pay them on his knees. Supreme Court doesn't play with their judgment, you want to bring technicalities after judgment. Funny people everywhere.