Oyo state Governor Seyi Makinde has said the federal government is not constitutionally superior to the state government, as the Oyo government knows what is good for the people.
In an emergency consultative stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan, held at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Seyi Makinde added that the Supreme Court judgement granting autonomy to the local government councils across the country has created a lacuna between the decision and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said, ”I’ve been reading a lot of sensational headlines in the newspapers. “The governors’ hands have been tied; this is a first for Nigeria,” they proclaim.
This morning, NULGE declared, “With this judgment, there’s now freedom in the land.”
In our meeting, let’s discuss the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the financial autonomy of LG councils.
I believe there’s now a gap between the Supreme Court’s decision and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We all swore, and I swore, to uphold the constitution.
But when laws conflict, it’s our duty to find our own solutions for transparency and effective operation. When elephants fight, it’s the grass that suffers.
Let me also recall that since the beginning of this administration, Oyo State has conducted LG elections twice now. Did I not tell you?
When I was sworn in on May 29, 2019, I dissolved the LG councils. The Supreme Court has now stated that governors do not have the right to dissolve these LG councils.
So why did I dissolve them then? It was because elections were held into the LCDAs, and the Supreme Court has clarified that there are only 774 LGs in Nigeria.
There’s confusion in the land, and when there’s confusion, the structure shakes. We must clear up as much confusion as possible.
So, we will address the major challenges at the LG levels and develop our own solutions, as I mentioned. Addressing these challenges will ensure seamless implementation of processes that allow Oyo State to continue running smoothly.
Regarding the issue of LG elections in Oyo State, we don’t have caretaker committees at the local level. We planned the elections meticulously so that not a single day was wasted.
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We run a responsible administration in Oyo State. We don’t need the federal government to tell us what to do; we know what’s best for our people.
When we took over in 2019, the LGs were burdened with backlogs of salaries, gratuities, and pensions. I mention this because Oyo State will emerge stronger from this.
We are capable of making decisions that benefit our people. Constitutionally, the federal government is not superior to the state government; their jurisdictions are coordinate. So, we will continue to do what is right in Oyo State, as we have been doing.
