By Adeyinka Adeniran
Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde on Monday summoned an emergency stakeholders consultative meeting of various interest groups to thinker on the way forward on the recent ruling of the Supreme Court which granted financial autonomy to local governments areas in the country.
The governor who also set up two committees; Technical and Legal committees to review the apex court judgement expressed displeasure at what he referred to as “lacuna” which existed in the court decision.
Addressing the stakeholders before a closed door session with the members of the Committee at the Executive Chamber of the Governors Office, Agodi State Secretariat, Governor Makinde said the stakeholders engagement was to discuss the decision of the Supreme Court as it concerns financial autonomy for the local government Councils.
The committee was given four weeks to prese t her report to the government.
Some of the stakeholders who attended the meeting include: members of Oyo state chapter, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Abiodun Aikomo, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Otunba Ademola Ojo, and Chairman House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Others in attendance are representatives of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) among others.
While lamenting the challenges the Supreme Court judgement portends for state government, Makinde insisted that the problem confronting the nation was not how to share money but how to become more productive and create economic prosperity, noting that before his administration came on board, leave bonuses were last paid in 2017.
He added that his administration also paid that of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 while highlighting some of the efforts to deliver good governance at the grassroot.
He maintained that Primary health care facilities, inner roads among others were all in bad shape and that he has continuously worked collaboratively with the LGs to deliver dividends of democracy to the people.
Makinde said, “Let me thank you all for joining this important consultative meeting. I want us to discuss the decision of the Supreme Court as it concerns financial autonomy of the local government councils.
“I believe a lacuna has been created between the decision and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We all swore to uphold the constitution but the law is the law. If the law is in conflict, it behoves on us to look for our own home-grown solution that can ensure that we have transparency and operate with our people. This is because when two elephants are fighting, the grass will suffer.
“Let me also recall that since the beginning of this administration, we have conducted two local government elections and I dare to say ‘did I not tell you’? When I was sworn in, I dissolved the local government. The Supreme Court just basically said to us that governors don’t have the right to dissolve the councils but why did I dissolve them then?
“It was because elections were held into the LCDAs and the same Supreme Court has basically now said that only 774 LGAs are in Nigeria. So, there is confusion in the land, but when you have confusion, what it means is that the structure is shaking and we have to remove much of those confusions as much as possible.
“So, we will be outlining the major challenges we have at the local government areas, so that we can develop our own solution. And the challenges if addressed, will ensure that we have seamless implementation of the process that can allow Oyo State to continue to grow.”
He said further, “On the issue of LG elections in Oyo State, we don’t have caretaker committees at the local level. We planned the elections in a way that not a single day was given out. We have a responsible government in Oyo State, we don’t need the federal government to tell us what to do. We know what is good and we know what is good for our people.
“Go back a little bit, what we inherited as an administration in 2019 was a local government system that was owing backlog of salaries, gratuities, pensions. 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. We can run our affairs by ourselves. The FG is not superior constitutionally to the state government though they have more resources than the states. So, we can do what is right in Oyo State and we have been doing what is right.
“For the primary school teachers, the Chairman of NUT is here. Before we came in, leave bonuses were last paid in 2017 and we paid that of 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Primary health care facilities, inner roads were all in bad shape. 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 these period. We upgraded about 209 PHCs, equipped about 264, completed 60 model schools. We constructed and renovated hundreds of primary school classrooms and fixed some inner roads but there are still challenges that we have to address. We still have backlog of gratuities and pension.
“The local government is owing about N55bn in pension and gratuities. We are developing infrastructure that would push the economy and raise the living standard of their people and push their economy towards sustainable goals.
“But for us, at that time, our priority was not to deploy resources. What I am hearing right now is that our problem is not also money but how to share it. But I insist that our problem is not how to share money but how to bake a bigger cake and bring our people out of hunger and poverty and stop the anger in the land.
“Our people do not care if the road is fixed by the FG or the state government or the LG. They just want to see good roads. An example is the Oyo-Iseyin road through Fasola, which is a Federal Government road but the state government fixed it and I have the letter for the FG when I wrote it for approval. It is a critical road to Oyo State economy.
“I believe it is our problem irrespective of what they are doing at the federal level. We know what is important to the lives of our own people here in Oyo State. I learnt FAAC is tomorrow (Tuesday) and all of you can come. We will delay the implementation for the next ninety days, which is three FAACs from now. They will still pay the money into JAAC account.
“You make the laws, you break it. So, the law is at your own peril. That is not how to run a country. If you make the law, let us all obey the law. For us in Oyo State, we can solve our own problem, deal with our situation and prioritize our people. Our pass mark is to discuss among ourselves and whatever we agree upon.
“I am not saying things should not be transparent at the local government level but it is a distraction to say this is the magic bullet that will wash away our problems. NULGE is here, NUP, NUT and others are here. So, let us sit down and discuss and fashion out our own way out of this issue”, Governor Makinde added.
Briefing newsmen at the Briefing Room of the Governor’s Office, after the closed door meeting, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Abiodun Aikomo and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Otunba Ademola Ojo explained that the two newly set up committees have been tasked with the responsibility of reviewing the specifics of the Supreme Court ruling and proposing a detailed implementation plan that adheres to both constitutional requirements and practical considerations in the best interest of the people.
Aikomo also added that the mandate of the committees includes review and recommendation for new frameworks for implementation of the financial autonomy, and identifying potential challenges and solutions.
Barrister Aikomo, noted that the committees have been given between four to six weeks to conclude review of the ruling and come up with recommendations, however said that as of press time, the state was yet to receive the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court Judgement.
While noting that the Supreme Court judgement has created a Lacuna, he said legal experts have been asked to look at it stressing that governor Makinde, being a proactive leader, has decided to call the emergency consultative stakeholders meeting to fashion out a lasting solution in the best interest of the people of the state.
