Controversy over Oyo LGs Dissolution: Gov Makinde meets IGP Adamu, says I am trying to prevent chaos in Oyo State.
By Anthony Okafor
Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde has declared that he is trying to prevent chaos in the state over the controversy surrounding the removal of Chairmen of Local Government Areas and Community Development association.
This is just as the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu has assured that whenever he received the county order restraining the Police high command and the Attorney General from reinstating the sacked LG chairmen, he would comply.
Recall that the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan on Tuesday, restrained the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu and the sacked 68 chairmen of Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), from forcefully taking over council offices across the state.
The Court, presided over by Justice Moshud A.A Abass, also restrained the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Mr Shina Olukolu and the Oyo State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Akin Oke from joining in the illegal takeover.
In granting the four reliefs sought by the lead Counsel to the Government of Oyo State, Dr Akin Onigbinde, SAN, Justice Abass granted the orders following an ex-parte motion filed by the State Government in Suit No: I/78/2020.
He restrained the respondents in the suit from taking steps that would cause breach of the peace; taking over the 33 Local Government Councils and 35 LCDAs and/or assisting in forcefully reinstating the sacked chairmen pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
The Court, also restrained the defendants or their privies from interfering with the matters pending before the Court of Appeal on the local government issue.
The parties and their agents were equally restrained from taking any step that could tamper with the pending hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
However, Governor Makinde who was at Force headquarters for a meeting with the IGP disclosed that he met the IGP to intimate him of the Court order.
Recall that the IGP had earlier ordered the Oyo State Police CP Shina Olukolu, to take actions to implement the legal opinion of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) on the sacked local government chairpersons in the state.
In a letter addressed to the chairman of the dissolved Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Ayodeji Abass-Aleshiloye, the IGP had asked the sacked ALGON chairman to liaise with the Police Commissioner to facilitate a smooth takeover of the local government areas in the state.
Signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, DCP Idowu Owohunwa, the letter titled “Re Federal Government Order to Governor Seyi Makinde to Reverse Sack of Local Government/Local Council Development Areas Chairmen in Oyo State- Result for Police Protection”, the letter was dated January 23, 2020.
It reads, “Your letter dated 21st, January, 2020 on the above underlined subject, refers,
“I am to inform you that the Inspector-General of Police has directed the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State to initiate appropriate actions in line with the legal opinion of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice on the matter.
“You may accordingly, liaise with him to facilitate. Accept the assurances of the esteemed regards of the Inspector General of Police please
The IGP’s directive was sequel to the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami a fortnight ago urging the Oyo State Government to reinstate the democratically elected council chairmen who were sacked last year by the state governor, Seyi Makinde.
But speaking after the meeting with the IGP, Governor Makinde said, “We are here basically to discuss two things. You all must have heard about the issue of local government administration in Oyo State.
“There is a court order yesterday (Tuesday) restraining the IG, the CP, the AIG from giving unilateral order regarding the issue of local government administration in Oyo State.
“I came to brief the IG that this is the situation. We do not want chaos in Oyo State.
“I personally, am law-abiding. If there is a court judgement, I would obey it and he has given me the assurance that once he gets the copy of the court order, he would do the needful.
“Everybody is aware of the issue with Amotekun, so we deliberated on it. We had an agreement in principle to have the governors of the South-West to meet with him (IGP) to review the situation.
“We are trying to build a new country where the rule of law is supreme, so everybody should be law-abiding and ensure that they don’t do anything that would create lawlessness, the governor said.
