Oyo: Malami Threatens Makinde Over Sacked Council Heads

AGF Cannot Give Us Orders- State Govt

By Bayo Bernard

The Governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde is now torn between obeying the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami and doing the wishes of the people of the Pacesetter state over the issue of sacked local government chairmen in the state.

Malami has threatened the state with the full weight of federal power if Governor Makinde failed to reinstate the council bosses sacked barely two months ago by the governor.

In a letter dated January 14, cited by the magazine, the AGF said the governor has no power to sack the chairmen.

Makinde has sacked the 30 council chairmen and replaced them with caretaker chairmen last year.
But Malami, in the letter directed to the Attorney General of the state, Prof. Oyewo Oyelowo, said the Supreme court has settled the matter concerning the tenure of elected local government chairmen in the country.

By that ruling, the AGF said, Makinde has abused the power of his office, as the removal of the council bosses is against the law.

In the letter, marked HAGF/OYO/2020/Vol.I/I., and titled, ‘Unconstitutionality of dissolution of elected local government councils and appointment of caretaker committee: the urgent need for compliance with extant judicial decisions.’

The AGF stated that the decision of the Supreme Court on the matter is binding on all the 36 states of the federation.

“The common practice by some state governors in dissolving elected local government councils is unconstitutional, null and void.

Failure to do that, Malami said “Mr President and other relevant agencies will be advised further on compliance measures that should be taken in national interest.”

The state government has yet to respond to the letter at the time of filing this report.

But sources close to the governor told the magazine that the government is not having any sleepless night over the matter, contrary to suggestions in some quarters.

The governor took the decision to sack the council chairmen last year, after wide consultations with the people of the state, one of the sources said.

She said the people of the state are solidly behind the governor on the dissolution of the councils.
Her comment came on the crest of suggestions that the sacked chairmen are planning to storm the 33 local council offices across the state, to reclaim their positions.

Another source who said he’s not directed to speak on the matter, also disclosed that the AGF cannot assume the power of the court on a matter that’s already before a court of competent jurisdiction.

According to him, the federal government cannot force the former chairmen on the people of the state.
He said it’s a joke for the AGF to be threatening the state over a matter that should be left to the court to handle.

He said any plan by any group to use the issue to foment trouble in the state will be resisted by the state government.