Local government officials in Oyo State who were sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde on assuming office four years ago have sought President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s intervention over the payment of their salaries and allowances.
The Supreme Court had ordered the governor to pay the council officials whom he sacked before the expiration of their tenure, but he has not done so.
The apex court had declared the governor’s action illegal, null and void.
The Nation Newspaper reports that the ex-council chiefs in a letter addressed to the President, detailed their predicament and prayed him to, among others, prevail on Makinde to do the needful.
In the letter by Bashorun Mojeed Ajuwan and Oluyinka Jesutoye, the ex-council chiefs said after the Supreme Court judgment, the state government, on its own, agreed to pay N4,874,889,425.60 out of which it paid only N1.5 billion in 2021, leaving N3,374,889,425.60 outstanding.
They have also written the Court of Appeal, rejecting its recommendation of mediation in the appeal Makinde filed against the April 27 ruling of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which ordered one of the state’s bankers to immediately pay N1,374,889,425.60 and pay the balance of N2 billion in installments of N500 million quarterly, with the first installment payable on July 31, 2023.
The former council chiefs argued that submitting to mediation as against the regular court procedure, would further serve the interest of the governor who they alleged was unwilling to pay them.
The letter to President Tinubu reads: “Sir, the total number of the then elected officers were 796 (that is, Chairmen – 68, Vice Chairmen – 68 and Councillors – 660) and all of us have continued to suffer due to the insistence of His Excellency not to comply with the judgment of the highest court of the land.
“Sir, as at date, we have lost 26 of our colleagues to the cold hands of death due to their inability to spend peanut on their health as and when necessary.
“Your Excellency, sir, we know that the Constitution empowers you to enforce the judgment of the highest court of the land, but our humble appeal to you is to kindly appeal to the Governor of Oyo State to comply with the order of the highest court of the land.
“The High Court (in FCT), which they approached for the order of installment has even made it easier for them to comply with the said judgment.
“Sir, the children of our deceased colleagues are not crying for the opportunity to be in United States of America, like the children of HE, the Governor of Oyo State; they are merely crying to be given the opportunity to attend their schools in this country.
“Sir, most of the children of our deceased colleagues are out of school due to the insistence of His Excellency that he is not going to obey the order of the court.
“After all, the amount due to each of these 796 former officers is far below the estacodes of a commissioner (not even His Excellency) in the state whenever he/she travels out of the country.
“Sir, we have committed no crime by being members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and we are proud of it…“
“We wonder aloud what the Attorney General, who wrote ‘Attachment A’ on the instruction of his principal, filed application for payment by installment and thereafter appealed against the same application which he voluntarily filed stands to gain.”
“Sir, we know that no King’s Counsel will attempt to play any game with the judgment of the Supreme Court of United Kingdom (UK). We pray that under your leadership, our country will equally become a saner clime.
“Sir, kindly use your God-given authority to appeal to His Excellency to stop oppressing us and to further stop disobeying the judgment of the highest court of the land.
“We are grateful.”
