As an indigene and lover of Oyo state, I took out time out of my tight schedule to closely analyze the policy actions (beyond statements) of the new Governor under 48 hours of assuming office, his frankness with the people about the minimum wage, donating his salaries to the Teachers’ Trust Fund, and in fact, dissolving the ‘Local Government council’- all showing in concrete terms that a new Sheriff is in town, and it cannot be business as usual.
I will normally mind my lane, but this is an all-important matter. On the Local Government issue, some say the Secretary to the Government and House of Assembly must be properly constituted for the Governor to act, while some say he has no right to dissolve Local Governments. In this small ocean, there are many who agree it is the right decision to take. To discuss this issue as both a lawyer and a policy consultant, let’s be clear, the elections that ushered in the Council leaders and Chairmen is in itself flawed from its foundation. Wasn’t there a court injunction as regards the conduct of elections? Why should the ex-Governor conduct an election few months to the administration leaving office, when he operated a caretaker Council for more than 7 years? Those who wail over the matter cannot come to equity without clean hands. This is a foundational issue and goes to the root of whether the existence of the Council leaders, is legally and politically correct, besides the powers of the new Governor to dissolve these unholy union. Ideally, if ‘Koseleri’ is to leave the seat of power, then all that he stands for and that stands for him, needs to be out of the people’s way.
The idea of sacking Local Government Council became institutionalized under the APC Government. If APC wants to come hard on the new Governor because he is PDP, they should wash their linen first.
1. Imo State: In 2011, APC Governor, Rochas Okorocha, sacked elected local council officials as soon as he was sworn-in, in June 2011 as governor of the state. He later appointed Transitional Committee chairmen to run the affairs of the 27 local councils.
2. Rivers State: In 2012, Rotimi Amaechi, ex-Minister under APC’s Government suspended 11 local council chairmen indefinitely, as Governor. The suspension was a fall out of the local government chairmen to attend a meeting called by the governor.
3. Edo State: In late October 2012, Adams Oshiomole, the current APC Chairman, sacked 18 local government executives, a year to assumption of office.
4. Ondo State: In 2008, the governor of the state, on assumption of office and as part of his first official assignment in office, sacked the local government chairmen. He claimed that he had filed a suit against the election that brought them into office.
5. Ekiti State: On 29th October, 2010, 16 local government chairmen were sacked by the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, exactly 19 days after he assumed office. Before the sack, Justice Cornelius Akintayo of Ado Ekiti High Court, held that the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), which organized the election was not properly constituted. He therefore dismissed their application.
The Local Government is the closest to the people. Wouldn’t it be politically and socially suicidal for us to have a local Government on a faulty foundation, that works against the possibility of progress that the new Government can bring? And to do this, the Governor does not need his appointed Secretary of Government or the House. He is the Executive Governor of the State, and until the Constitution is amended to make the Local Government entirely independent of his powers, then he can wield it. The agitators should rather focus on ensuring a constitutional change, not blame the Governor for leveraging on a constitutional lacuna.
It is time we understand in our state that the gentility of the people does not symbolize cowardice, and we have a gentle leader who is also ready to prove this point with his actions. Besides the court of law, I’ll also let the court of public opinion decide whether we want an end to ‘Koseleri’ and the beginning of ‘Omitutun’.
Timi Olagunju is a Legal and Policy Consultant. He can be reached on LinkedIn
