Oyo APC warns council chairmen against anti-autonomy stance

The Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned the chairmen and career officers in all the state’s 33 local councils to distance themselves from subverting the verdict of the Supreme Court that recently granted financial autonomy to the third-tier of government in the country.

Besides, it warned the chairmen to step back from what it described as “spirited efforts by Governor Seyi Makinde to subvert the verdict of the Supreme Court,” warning that toeing the line of the governor might land them in jail sooner than later.

The party’s position is coming on the decision of the chairmen, who pulled out of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in reaction to the apex court’s judgment.

A statement, yesterday, signed by the state’s Publicity Secretary of the party, Olawale Sadare, said: “Governor Makinde has emerged the lone voice among the 36 state governors condemning the apex court’s verdict as he was quoted to have described the development as a distraction while he also inaugurated a special committee to review the judgment and mandated members of the committee to come up with recommendations, which would enable him to maintain the status quo as it concerns the joint account arrangement between states and local councils.

“The whole world did not realise the magnitude of damage done to the third-tier of government in Oyo State in the last 62 months until Makinde came out openly to castigate both the Federal Government and the judiciary on the issue of financial autonomy.”

The APC, while accusing the governor of covetousness and lack of respect for constitutional democracy and the rule of law, said Makinde had inordinate ambition to make Oyo State a separate republic from Nigeria with a view to making himself a demi-god that would be worshipped by all and sundry.

The party, therefore, said that the reported withdrawal of the council chairmen from ALGON is just a smokescreen as it is aware of a script already handed to them by their principal.