Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has directed Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to reverse himself over the dissolution of local government administration and reinstate the sacked council chairmen in the line with the pronouncement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The directive was contained in a letter dated January 14, 2020 with reference HAGF/OYO/2020/Vol.I/I, which was addressed to the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo.
The letter was entitled; ‘Unconstitutionality of Dissolution of Elected Local Government Councils and Appointment of Caretaker Committee: The Urgent Need for Compliance with Extant Judicial Decisions.’
Chief of Staff to Makinde, Chief Bisi Ilaka, had in the evening of May 29, 2019 announced that Makinde had approved the dissolution of the executives of the 33 local governments and 35 local council development areas of the state. The decision was later given a strong backing by the state House of Assembly under the speakership of Adebo Ogundoyin.
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, in a telephone chat with Daily Sun, said he was not aware that the Attorney General for the state had received any letter on the development from the AGF.
“If the Attorney General for this state confirms that he has received the letter you are talking about, we will react appropriately.”
Chairman of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, said: “We are glad with this latest development.