.says sacked LG Chairmen planning to ground LG system
The Government of Oyo State declared on Tuesday that members of the Association of
Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) were deliberately frustrating the planned
Out-of-court settlement of the crisis rocking local governments in the state.
Special Counsel to the State Governor, Barrister Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), who spoke on the
stance of ALGON members in a statement on Tuesday, șaid that the sacked chairmen
wrongly latched onto a script by the Attorney General of the Federation, which he said
lacks foundation in law.
Chief Secretary Press governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adis
A statenment by
quoted the Special Counsel to the Govėrnor of Oyo State as saying that the ALGON
members came to the negotiation table with absolute ťerms.
He said: "Information available to me indicated that the ALGON members went to the
meeting meant to resolve the matter with absolute terms. No party desirous of
Solutios go to negotiation table With absolute terms.
"Basically, it is in the interest of the entire State to have the matter sorted out andI
must say that the government of Oyo State remains committed to observing the rule of
law."
Ayorinde, who stated that the case being held on to by the sacked ALGON members was
baséd on a faulty step taken by the Attorney General of the Federation, averred that the
State Government did not in añy way frustrate the negotiation.
He said: "The Attorney General of the Federation sought to enforce a Şupreme Court
judgment that the Oyo State Government was not a party to. He issued a directive that
Was not grounded in lavW and in the spirit of federalism, that was resisted, because
federalism doesnot allow the AGF, whose duties are with the Federal Government and
at best the Federal Capital Territory to interfere with the legal process in any of the
Constituent part of the federation.
"And as everybody may know, local governments are under the state government. So, at
any point în time, the Oyo State Government did not walk out oñ any discussion
towards resolvig the matter.
"The last meeting they held, the Government was well represented by the AG, Professor
Oyelowo Oyewo and counsel to the State, Dr Akin Onigbinde (SAN), who Is also a former
Speaker f the State House of Assembly. But the sacked ALGON chairmen canme with
absolute terms, which could be seen as a way of trying to thwart the peace moves, It WIll be in the interest of all parties to reconvene under a vēry amiable atmosphere and come to the conclusion on hoW to move forward."
Signed
Taiwo Adisa
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde
February 11, 2020.
0 Comments