A former attorney general and commissioner for justice in Oyo State, Michael Lana, has said that it is illegal for caretaker chairmen to appoint park managers in the state.
Lana, who spoke during a chat with OYOINSIGHT.COM, explained that the local governments, as presently constituted in the state, lack the power do so as they don’t have elected chairmen and councillors in place to appoint park managers. “So government is going from one illegality to the other,” he added.
This newspaper recalls that Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, had proscribed the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, introducing the Park Management System, PMS, which has Mukaila Lamidi (Auxilliary) as disciplinary committee chair.
Only last week, a federal high court in a matter brought before it by leaders of the proscribed NURTW, declared as illegal the appointment of PMS by Makinde, saying it was the duty of the local government.
The Makinde administration, which has since accepted the judgement, handed over the PMS to the local government but in a new twist, the council chairmen gave a fresh letter of appointment to Auxilliary and others to continue in their previous positions.
But Lana, while reacting, explained that “I was very proud of Governor Seyi Makinde when he said he would not appeal the judgment which declared the appointment of park managers illegal. My concern was not as such on the appointment but on the people appointed and the real motive behind the appointment. In fact I felt disheartened at the begining of this administration when my attention was drawn to some outings by the governor with Auxilliary by his side.
“The shame was not only on the governor but on every decent indigene of Oyo State. To later uplift such a fellow to a government position to be collecting money without any legal backing made it more worrisome. After the judgment and thinking they are smart, the local goverments too have illegally appointed the same fellow and his goons. So, our friends from outside Oyo State that had abused me that we run a government of thugs by the thugs and for the thugs can now have a field day. I am deeply ashamed,” he disclosed.
He continued: “There is an existing judgment of the High Court that the state has no right to appoint caretaker chairmen and any such appointment is unconstitutional. APC elected chairmen that went to court were not aware of the judgment. That judgment by Hon Justice Boade (rtd) is still existing and binding. In fact, I can boldly say that all those caretaker chairmen may one day face the EFCC because every kobo they receive is stolen fund.”
