Fayemi Dissolves Local Governments. ALGON Kicks, Oni
Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has approved the dissolution of the state local governments. This followed the striking out of an interlocutory injunction filed by the local government chairmen by a state High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, said the dissolution took immediate effect.
But the Ekiti State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), while reacting to the dissolution, maintained that the government’s action was unknown to law, advising the state government to refrain from acting contrary to the constitution.
Reacting to the development in a statement signed by the state ALGON chairman and former chairman, Ido/Osi Local Government Area of the state, Mr. Sanmi Olubunmo, the association restated its commitment to respect and defend the provisions of the constitution and all enabling laws in the state.
According to him, “We want to describe the purported dissolution as unknown to law, hence, we regard it as rumour.
We are democratically elected officials of councils and any dissolution cannot be done illegally, but through the due process of law and official notice.”
Also condemning the act is the former Ekiti State helmsman, Mr. Segun Oni, who, in a statement signed by his Chief Media Aide, Wale Ojo-Lanre, said that the dissolution of the councils was “the beginning of the regime of illegalities and attack on the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in the state.”
Oni, who described the council dissolution as a “way of governance that cannot stand,” added that; “with the dissolution, which is not only illegal but an affront on Nigeria’s constitution, the ACN government has shown that it is out to destroy the rule of law, which is the foundation on which democracy stands.
Also kicking against the move were the former Information commissioner, and former deputy speaker of the state, Dr. Sikiru Lawal and Mr. Taiwo Olatunbosun.
Lawal advised the sacked local government chairmen and councillors in the state to “use all legal means to reclaim their mandates,” pleading with them not to resort to self help in the interest of the corporate existence of the state.
Olatunbosun described the act by the state governor as “illegal, brutish and usurption of the powers of the state house of assembly.”
the SSG, throwing more light on the development, explaned that the dissolution was in line with the belief of the state government in the rule of law, adding that the action followed the ruling of the court that the plea of the erstwhile local government chairmen in the 16 councils could not stand.
All the chairmen and local government officials were therefore directed to hand over government properties in their possession to the Directors of Administration in their respective local governments.
The state government thanked all affected officials for their “contributions to the growth of Ekiti State” and wished them success in their future endeavours.
Following the nullification of the election of the Mr. Segun Oni under whom they served, the local government chairmen, under the aegis of the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (AGON),
approached the Justice Ayodeji Daramola court, praying it to grant an interlocutory injunction restraining the state government, under Dr. Kayode Fayemi, from dissolving the local governments.
They also sought an order restraining the state government from taking any action against them pending the determination of the substantive suit they filed.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, the local government helmsmen, through their counsel, sought for the withdrawal of the application and pleaded for extension of time for them to amend the applications.
It was after the withdrawal that the court struck out the application and adjourned till November 9 for the continuation of the case.
When the state government got wind of the court’s pronouncement, it immediately issued the statement dissolving the local governments with immediate effect.
Posted by Darey
on 4:41 AM. Filed under