Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, has described as untrue and uncharitable insinuations that the State government does not want to pay the former local government chairmen their entitlements as ordered by the supreme court.
Taiwo Adisa, his chief press secretary, while fielding questions from Aanuoluwapo Omorinde on BOTTOM LINE, a political programme on IBR 92.5fm Ibadan at the weekend, disclosed that there was an ongoing discussion but that the former chairmen did not allow the discussion to terminate before dragging the state government to court to say “oh garnishee the account of the state and all that and so, it became another leg entirely and another court has seized the process.”
Giving an explanation of what transpired between both parties, he said “we believe dialogue and discussion could resolve the matter but since they took the legal angle to it, we just have to follow the process. Someone cannot take you to court and you keep quiet in your house because you want peace”
“It’s not about buying time, it’s about clear interpretation of what the supreme court judgment actually mean. Okay, they believe that the supreme court mean ABC, the state government believes that the Supreme Court mean A and B and so, how do we harmonize that? A discussion was set up courtesy the office of the attorney general of the state, you know he is a professor of law. So, he understands what should be and that was why promptly, the fine imposed by the supreme court was paid. The state government was ready for the payment but the calculations they brought and the calculation the state government brought were not tallying and so, there has to be discussions. In the process of discussing, they didn’t allow the process to terminate before dragging the state government to court to say oh garnishee the account and so, it became another leg. That leg we cannot discuss in detail because a court has seized the process”.
