Politics
LG autonomy: S’court verdict creates a constitutional gap, says Makinde
- /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 27
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Seyi-Makinde.jpg&description=LG autonomy: S’court verdict creates a constitutional gap, says Makinde', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
- Share
- Tweet /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/plugins/mvp-social-buttons/mvp-social-buttons.php on line 72
https://naijablitznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Seyi-Makinde.jpg&description=LG autonomy: S’court verdict creates a constitutional gap, says Makinde', 'pinterestShare', 'width=750,height=350'); return false;" title="Pin This Post">
*Set up committee to review ruling
By Francesca Hangeior.
The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde has said that his administration will ensure that residents do not suffer from the supreme court verdict on financial autonomy for LGAs.
Makinde who was speaking during a meeting with LG stakeholders in Ibadan, the state capital said, the apex court’s judgment has created a lacuna.
Section 162(6) of the 1999 Constitution states that “each state shall maintain a specific account to be called State-Joint Local Government Account into which shall be paid all allocations to the local government councils of the state from the Federation Account and from the government of the state”.
On Thursday, the supreme court ruled that the federal government should henceforth pay allocations directly to LG councils.
The seven-member panel of justices held that state governments have continued to abuse their powers by retaining and using the funds meant for LGAs.
The apex court also ordered the federal government to withhold allocations of LGAs governed by unelected officials.
In a statement, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, special adviser on media to Makinde, said the governor convened the meeting to discuss the challenges facing the LGAs, develop solutions, and ensure a seamless implementation of the judgment.
“I called this meeting because I felt that even though we have not seen the certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment of the supreme court, we have to be proactive and discuss the decision of the supreme court as it concerns the financial autonomy of the local government councils because I believe a lacuna has been created between the decision and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that we all swore to uphold,” Makinde said.
“The law is the law and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court.
“But it behoves us to look for our own homegrown solutions that can ensure that we have transparency and that our people do not suffer. This is because when two elephants are fighting, it is the grass that will suffer.
“I am saying this because Oyo state will get out of this even stronger. We are people that know what is good for our people.
“Before we came in, leave bonuses were last paid in 2017 and we have paid for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The primary healthcare facilities and inner roads were all in bad shape.
“But we have been working collaboratively with the LGs to deliver dividends of democracy to our people.
“We were able to clear those salary arrears. We paid N18bn in pension and gratuities over this period. We upgraded about 209 PHCs, equipped about 264, and completed 60 model schools.
“We constructed and renovated hundreds of primary school classrooms and fixed some of our roads.
“But there are still challenges that we have to address. We still have a backlog of gratuities and pensions.
“The local governments owe about N55bn in pension and gratuities. We are developing infrastructure that would push the economy and raise the living standard of our people and push their economy towards sustainable goals.”
Representatives of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the governor set up two committees to review the supreme court judgment and suggest recommendations for implementation.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, an Accord Party aspirant and about 3,000 other politicians have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Among the defectors was Ademola, popularly known as Lucky, who said his decision to leave the PDP followed a careful assessment of the state’s political landscape and the prospects of the parties ahead of the next general election.
Speaking during the defection ceremony, Ademola described the APC as the party with the strongest political prospects in Oyo State.
“I did my due diligence and realised that any ticket outside the APC is a mere tissue paper that cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.
“We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” he said.
Also joining the APC was Ojo, who had been seeking the Accord Party’s ticket in the same constituency.
Ojo said his decision to abandon Accord followed what he described as unsuccessful efforts to establish the party as a credible political alternative in the state.
According to him, the group had invested considerable time, energy and resources in the party before concluding that joining the APC offered a more promising political platform.
“We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were formally received by the Oyo State APC Chairman, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them of equal opportunities and fair treatment within the party.
The ceremony was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, the party’s Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni, and other prominent party leaders.
The mass defection comes as political parties intensify efforts to strengthen their structures and build support ahead of the 2027 elections in Oyo State.
Ademola popularly known as Lucky, said his decision to leave the PDP was influenced by his assessment of the political situation in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I did my due diligence and realised that any ticket outside the APC is a mere tissue paper that cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.
We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” Ademola said.
Ojo, who was seeking the Accord ticket in the same constituency, also announced his decision to join the APC, describing his previous political efforts with Accord as unproductive.
We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were received by the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them that they would have equal opportunities within the party.
We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.
“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.
The defectors were received by the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them that they would have equal opportunities within the party.
The event was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, the party’s Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni and other party leaders.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation has described the Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) Presidential Candidate, Seyi Makinde, as clueless and a total embarrassment to the people of the State, saying “for failing to address hunger in Oyo State despite increased funds from the federation account, Makinde has shown that he is more than clueless.”
The Campaign Organisation, in a statement by Bisi Oladele, Director of Media and Publicity, said Governor Makinde’s admittance of more money from the federation account to Oyo State was a confirmation of the success of the economic reform policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Makinde had admitted in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Monday, that Oyo State received more money from the federation account, but added that he has not been able to reduce hunger in the State.
The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, in a statement on Tuesday, said Makinde’s statement, though a function of his level of intellectual capacity, is a sad and clear reality of what Oyo State has been going through in terms of purposeful governance in the last seven years.
If through the ingenuity and purposeful leadership of President Tinubu, Oyo State allocation from the federation account has increased tremendously, should it also be the duty of the President to ensure judicious use of the money?
If you have acknowledged that monthly, you have been getting more money from the federation account, who are you expecting to come and help you to fight hunger in your State? Is it President Tinubu?
Most importantly, this same Governor Makinde has deliberately refused to allow local governments in Oyo State to function. He has criminally been everywhere, opposing local government autonomy so as to continue to spend both the State and local council funds.
Therefore, for the people of Oyo State, waiting a day longer to stop the extension of Makinde’s cluelessness beyond 2027 is what must not be allowed to happen and on February 6, 2027, the governor and the man through whom he desires to extend his clueless government will be rejected by the people.
Bisi Oladele
Director, Media and Publicity
Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation
Wike’s flashback on Amaechi: “I was his campaign DG in 2011, after that he has not won any election in Rivers”(Video)
Confusion As Abductors Of Oyo Corps Members Demand ₦50m Ransom For Each Victim
Wike tackles Amaechi: Account for $39m Hospital, N68bn Monorail, N10bn anti-malaria fumigation
-
News10 hours agoCourt Denies KC Luxury Bail, Remands Influencer Over ₦39bn Cocaine Trafficking Allegation
-
Metro11 hours agoFear grips RCCG Church members as pastor collapses, dies while preaching about sudden death
-
Metro11 hours agoEdo APC Chairman Tenebe Sparks Outrage Over ‘AK-47 Fire’ Threat Against Tinubu Vote Opponents
-
News10 hours agoAmaechi: I’ll Dump Atiku, Back Tinubu If Petrol Drops to ₦600 Per Litre
-
News5 hours agoGrand reception for FCT minister Wike at Ekpeye Kingdom on a visit to Uzugbani NEC, in Ahoada LGA today (VIDEO)
-
News10 hours agoLagos University Workers Threaten Indefinite Strike Over Nine-Month Salary Arrears
You must be logged in to post a comment Login