The leadership of the sacked chairmen of local government areas and local council development areas, LCDAs, has commended Governor Seyi Makinde for recognizing their “mandates as democratically elected chairmen and councillors by offering to pay their salaries and allowances.”
OYOINSIGHT.COM had reported how Makinde, few hours after his inauguration, announced the sacking of the council bosses, elected by the administration of his predecessors.
This newspaper recalled that the sacked chairmen, who have been regrouping under the aegis of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, had instituted several cases before and after the inauguration of Makinde as governor.
Only few weeks ago, the state government was said to have considered an out-of-court settlement option.
OYOINSIGHT.COM also learnt that ALGON had presented the following positions:
i.) The mandate of all elected officers i.e. chairmen and vice chairmen, councillors is sacrosanct and non-negotiable.
ii.) The positions of secretary, chief of staff and chairperson are part of the office of the executive chairman and should therefore be non-negotiable.
iii.) ALGON should also push for the retention of the officers on appointment such as supervisors special assistants.
OYOINSIGHT.COM also learnt that the government, after turning down ALGON’s demands, offered to pay them off.
Makinde, OYOINSIGHT.COM recalled, had similarly, after disbanding members of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, and the Judicial Service Commission, JSC, paid them off.
But in a letter obtained by OYOINSIGHT.COM in the early hours of today (Sunday), ALGON, in a letter written by the trio of Mallam Yusuf Alli, SAN, Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, and Otunba Kunle Sobaloju and signed by Prince Abass Alesinloye and Pastor Jesutoye Oluyinka, they said that ‘accepting financial compensation by way of calculated salary and severance allowance would amount to aiding the breach of the constitution and may also lead to violation of the anti-corruption laws by collecting salaries and allowances for futuristic job tenure yet to be lived out.”
“In the overall interest of the state,” the letter continued, “ALGON opined that government ‘may appoint’ additional two supervisory councillors and one liaison officer per LGAs and LCDAs to the existing and already inaugurated appointed ones, to make it a government of all inclusive.”
