The local government chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde on Wednesday described as an exercise in futility the governor’s appeal of the Supreme Court judgement of May 7, 2021, which ordered him to pay their salaries and allowances.
The ex-council bosses’ position came against the backdrop of Makinde’s statement at the weekend during a media chat, where he said the sacked council bosses would not get a dime till the Supreme Court asked the government to pay.
Makinde had asserted that the state government would not bow to pressure to pay the state’s money into the wrong hands until all legal means were exhausted.
In pushing its position, the state government had recently filed a fresh motion and notice of appeal before the Appeal Court, Abuja, urging the court to review the Supreme Court order of May 7, 2021.
But the ex-local government chairmen, addressing a press conference in Ibadan on Wednesday, said it was unthinkable that the governor would expect that the Supreme Court, which ordered him to pay in the first place, would turn around to order him not to pay anymore.
Presenting their position, the chairmen of the forum of ex-local government chairmen, called Forum 68 Chairmen, Mr Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, wondered if the governor bore in mind that the court that gave the order was the Supreme Court, which was the highest court in the land.
Arguing that the Supreme Court on May 7, 2021, gave a similar order to the governor of Katsina State, which was being complied with, Abass-Aleshinloye said it was baffling that despite Oyo State filing an affidavit of compliance, it had refused to pay the sum of N4.8 billion it pledged to pay.
He said rather than Makinde respecting the rule of law by complying with the Supreme Court judgement, he resorted to issuing them threats.
Bandying documents, Abass-Aleshinloye said, in compliance with the Supreme Court judgement to file an affidavit of compliance within three months of the judgement, the then solicitor general of the state, now an Honourable Judge of the High Court of Justice of Oyo State, filed the affidavit, yet they had not been paid till date.
To enforce compliance with its judgement, he said they approached an FCT High Court, which was granted.
He said the High Court of FCT, on April 27, 2023, directed the state government to pay ₦1.3 billion forthwith and continue to pay ₦500 million quarterly, commencing on July 31, 2023.
Out of the total sum of N4.8 billion, ₦1.3 billion was made absolute against First Bank of Nigeria Plc, while ₦3.4 billion was to be spread quarterly as ordered.
He then challenged the state governor to produce evidence where any of its cases were dismissed, as alluded to during the weekend media chat.
He said the former chairmen were more baffled at the non-compliance as the former Attorney General had written to its lawyers stating the amount to be paid and that the same would be paid within six
months.
Abass-Aleshinloye said the issue before the courts is the proprietary or otherwise of the failure of the Governor and Attorney General to comply with the judgement of the Supreme Court, be it as ordered by the High Court of FCT or as ordered by the Supreme Court itself.
Correspondingly, Secretary of the Forum, Mr Yinka Jesutoye, said the ex-council bosses believed in the integrity of the Supreme Court to uphold its earlier judgement.
He said the forum had documented threats the ex-local government chairmen had faced with appropriate authorities and will remain on the path of the rule of law in fighting its cause, no matter how long.
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