Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Oyo government has vowed to bring the full weight of the law to bear on those involved in the violent takeover of some council secretariats in the state.
Reports confirmed, yesterday, that the sacked chairmen resorted to break-ins and vandalisation of government properties, leading some “imposters” to seize offices of council chairmen.
Following the forceful resumption of the 68 council chairmen under the aegis of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) sacked by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on May 29, 2019, uneasy calm has enveloped the state.
The council chairmen comprising chairmen of the 33 local government areas of the state and 35 chairmen of local council development area (LCDAs) were elected on May 12, 2018 by the immediate past administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
The sacked chairmen under the leadership of Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye of Oluyole Local Government made real their threats to resume to their duty posts when they broke the locks of various entrances to the council offices and forcefully entered.
The gates and offices across all the 33 local governments and 35 LCDAs were under lock because the leadership of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) had last weekend issued stay at home order to their members based on the battle for the soul of local government administration between the ruling PDP and the opposition APC, and the need for the safety of the employees. The local government workers were directed to stay at home till the impasse was resolved.
The government, in a statement by Babatunde Oduyoye, special adviser on strategy and political matters to Governor Seyi Makinde, maintained that the action of the sacked chairmen amounted to criminality and unwarranted provocation.
It promised that “a drastic measure” will be taken on the reports of destruction and violence which characterised the actions of the sacked chairmen.
“We have received reports of vandalisation of government property. We have received reports of wanton destruction of doors, windows, and others, and I can tell you that the governor will not sit down and watch while some people decide to be lawless. This is criminal and the government will pursue it to a logical conclusion.
“So, pending the determination of the cases at the Court of Appeal, I think it is only appropriate for these chairmen to be law-abiding because we had said earlier that it is sub judice and we cannot do anything until these cases are determined in the court.
“For the records, the state government, in a statement yesterday, did say that we are going to ensure we do not allow a breakdown of law and order. As we speak, there are two cases in the Court of Appeal and the cases are coming up on February 19. I do not know why the Attorney-General of the Federation wrote such a letter that is now being used as excuse by some to act recklessly. We will recall that he did a similar thing on the issue of Amotekun.”
Oduyoye maintained that the Court should be allowed to take its decision on who is right or wrong on the matter on ground, insisting, however, that the government, under the leadership of Governor Makinde, would not sit down and watch some desperate elements destroy the state and create fear in the minds of the people.
The Commissioner of Police, Shina Olukolu, in a statement by spokesperson of the command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said the role of the police in the issues surrounding the administration of local governments in the state should not be seen as a face-off, but part of the professional police efforts geared towards the performance of its constitutional responsibilities.
However, family heads in Ibadan on the platform of Authentic Mogajis warned the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation to desist from any act that could set the state ablaze.