Supreme Court Ruling: Makinde Sets Up Committees to Ensure LG Autonomy

Governor Seyi Makinde

Oyo State Governor Establishes Committees to Actualize LG Independence

Makinde forms committees to evaluate the verdict on LG autonomy by the Supreme Court...

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde forms committees to evaluate Supreme Court's ruling on local government autonomy, ensuring transparency and mitigating potential negative consequences for the state's residents.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has established two committees to assess the Supreme Court's decision regarding local government autonomy. In the face of continuing worries about the ruling, they seek to provide suggestions that protect the welfare of the people living in the state.

This development is in line with the public's ongoing responses to the Supreme Court's ruling on local government authority.

On Monday, July 15, Seyi Makinde reiterated his administration's commitment to preventing any negative consequences that may result from the ruling for the people of the state.

The governor made note of the fact that the ruling has created a constitutional gap that would probably pose a number of difficulties for local governments. Makinde stated that he was in favor of openness in local government, but he advised against seeing the Supreme Court's ruling as a solution to all of Nigeria's problems.

Key players in the local government system were present at the advisory and consultative committee meeting when these statements were made. Makinde called the meeting in order to get feedback from interested parties, pinpoint important problems that the councils are facing, and develop plans for a seamless implementation procedure.

According to the governor, his administration is dedicated to carrying out what is appropriate and required. This include paying off outstanding debts owing to employees and pensioners at the municipal level, holding two council elections to make that caretaker committees do not control council management, and fixing infrastructure problems in local roadways and primary healthcare facilities.

Council chairpersons, leaders of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and representatives from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies related to the local government system attended the meeting, which was held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor's Office in Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The governor declared, “I called this meeting because I felt that even though we have not seen the Certified True Copy of the judgment of the Supreme Court, we have to be proactive and discuss the decision of the Supreme Court as it concerns 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.

“The law is the law and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court. But it behooves on 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.”

Makinde emphasized that the local government system he took over from his predecessors was beset by arrears in salary, gratuity, and pensions that had accrued over years.

He continued, “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 Health Care facilities, 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 their people and push their economy towards sustainable goals.”

Following the meeting behind closed doors, Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Ademola Ojo, stated that the governor has given the two committees four to six weeks to come up with a locally specific plan to fill in the gaps left by the Supreme Court's decision.

Furthermore, the state's attorney general and commissioner for justice, Biodun Aikomo, stressed that the governor took the initiative to form these committees in order to proactively handle any potential issues that may arise from the ruling. He emphasized that the governor's dedication to Oyo State's general development and the welfare of its citizens is demonstrated by this move.