Autonomy: Oyo APC Warns LG Bosses About Plan By Gov Makinde To Compromise Law

By Ayodele Oni

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused Governor Seyi Makinde of disrespecting the Supreme Court over its judgement on local government autonomy.

The party warned Chairmen and career officers in  the 33 local government areas in the state to distance themselves from the spirited efforts by Governor Seyi Makinde to subvert the judgment of the Supreme Court.

Elected local government chairmen in Oyo state had resolved over the weekend to continue to receive allocations to their councils directly from Governor, Seyi Makinde contrary to Supreme Court judgement which granted autonomy to the third tier of government.

They also agreed to pull out of the Association of Local Government Chairmen, (ALGON) and float another body.

APC in a statement on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, said toeing the line of the governor could land them in jail sooner than later.

The Supreme Court had early last month ruled that it is unconstitutional for governors to withhold funds earmarked for local government councils thus granting full autonomy to the 774 council areas in the country.

Sadare maintained that Makinde has emerged the lone voice among the 36 state governors condemning the Apex Court’s verdict as he was quoted to have described it as a distraction.

He noted that the governor also inaugurated a special committee to review the judgement and mandated members of the committee to come up with recommendations which would enable him maintain the status quo as it concerns the joint account arrangement between states and local government councils.

The APC scribe also accused the governor of covetousness and lack of  respect for constitutional democracy and the rule of law as well as having inordinate ambition to make Oyo state a separate republic from Nigeria with a view to making himself a demi-god that would be worshipped by all and sundry.

The statement read, “The whole world did not realize the magnitude of damage done to the third tier of government in Oyo State in the last 62 months until Governor Makinde came out openly to castigate both the federal government and the Judiciary on the issue of financial autonomy.

“The governor has been fighting tooth and nail to promote unpopular call for a reversal of the verdict which has been described, by most people, as a victory for the masses.

“Unfortunately for Governor Makinde, his recent actions have confirmed the allegations bothering on the embezzlement of council funds being leveled against him by our party (APC) and others.

“It is now crystal clear that the PDP governor had mapped out an eight-year plan aimed at looting LGA funds but got his dream truncated by the celebrated verdict of the Supreme Court.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the decision of the Apex Court remains sacrosanct even if he (Makinde) refused to agree to it. Meanwhile, Oyo State is a fraction of the nation called Nigeria and it is wrong for a governor to claim ‘sovereignty’ even as he depends on the federal government handouts and allocations to pilot the affairs of his state.

“On the final note, the reported withdrawal of the imposed 33 Council Chairmen from ALGON is just a smokescreen as we are aware of a script already handed to them by their principal.

“There is absolutely nothing Governor Makinde can do to make him the recipient of the allocations due to 33 LGAs again and any Chairman or career officer who compromise the provision of the law on account of blind loyalty or unfounded fear would pay for it as efforts are also in top gear to make the governor and other accomplices account for the trillions of naira already mismanaged at the expense of the LGAs.”