We Resist a Government of Lawlessness

Democracy is not a Tea Party, We shall continue to Resist Dictatorship, Thuggery and Lawlessness.

ALGON is aware of the late hour Invasion of some Local Government Secretariats by Oyo State Government sponsored thugs after the democratically elected chairmen and councilors duly reported and closed for the day at our Council secretariats as directed by ALGON, and as supervised by the police.

This latest act of vandalism, violence and attempt on the lives of ALGON members in some local government areas is an act of cowardice of a grossly malicious government that is refusing to accept the reality of supremacy of law over lawlessness, and superiority of the Supreme Court judgment against illegal dissolution of local government councils by State Governors and Parliaments. Since midnight many of our members’ homes’ have been targeted by government sponsored death squads in their bid to truncate our mandate by any means necessary.

PDP brigands and murderers of yesteryears have been reactivated and unleashed by this ‘hitherto thought to be amiable’ Governor. Indeed desperation for unlawful hold onto power has revealed the true intent of the heart, and the mask of deception of this administration is off.

Security agencies have been adequately informed for necessary investigation and action against these notorious miscreants roaming the streets. A Supreme Court judgement is law in all the 36 states. It is sacrosanct with national jurisdiction on all. An extant judgment of the Oyo State High Court equally remains the law in Oyo State unless it is set aside by a court of appeal.

No party has the power to unilaterally and unconscionably despise the judgments of any court,how much more a High Court and the Supreme Court of the land! Yet Governor Makinde has armed thugs to despise and disregard judgments of the Superior Courts of our land.

If democracy must survive, then the rule of law and obedience to court judgement including the subsisting judgment of the Oyo State High Court which gave perpetual injunction against local government dissolution is non negotiable.
We are equally aware of the sinister meetings being held by the Governor and his conspirators with the Caretaker usurpers to move local government funds out of our Council accounts.

This is their proposed response to draining the council of funds in the obvious loss of their reckless battle against the Constitution and the rule of law. Having seen the handwriting on the wall, they want to starve our councils of funds so that by our resumption, we will lack funds to run the councils. We hereby warn all our bankers to resist any unlawful directive, memo, or order not emanating from us as the elected Council Chairmen, to transfer or withdraw funds belonging to our Councils. We shall not fail to report any erring bank, banker or staff to the appropriate law enforcement agency on financial crimes.

The NFIU is already duly notified of the developments.

We want to reassure the governor of Oyo State once again of our readiness to work with him for the progress of our dear State without any ill feelings. However when it comes to the principle of rule of law and local government autonomy, there won’t be any compromise. Gov. Makinde, himself as a beneficiary of the rule of law and a Supreme Court judgment, the least expected of him is protection and defence of rule of law and the tenets of democracy.

Appeal to Local Government Workers to Resume Duty

We appreciate the concern of NULGE for peace and protection of lives and property of its members because of the violent antecedents of the lawless supporters of Gov. Makinde regime.

We, however, wish to call on NULGE to call off its strike against the State Government and the Governor who cannot guarantee their safety as the Chief Security Officer of the State. The Police, as a law enforcement agency and other security agencies have assured of being fully on ground to guarantee peace, law and order anytime you resume.

While we commend NULGE for its strike which ostensibly is in support of grassroots democracy and local government autonomy, we however call on them to call off this strike soon in order to have a tripartite meeting with the State Government on urgent evaluation for Local Government development and the N30, 000 minimum wage implementation. ALGON has set up a technical committee on minimum wage to liase with Government, NULGE and other critical Stakeholders for a smooth implementation of minimum wage without retrenchment of workers.

Appreciation to All

This victory didn’t come as a tea party but a product of ALGON’s painstaking long drawn peaceful legal and democratic struggle to defend Local Government autonomy and grassroots democracy.

We duly appreciate the efforts of prominent leaders of thought, traditional rulers, community leaders and discerning citizens who have been calling our members and have shown interest to positively intervene in the Oyo State Government self imposed avoidable constitutional breach.

We are open to any objective intervention, we however hasten to add that while we welcome dialogue, we will, however, not agree to any terms that will circumvent the constitution and the rule of law. Local Government Autonomy must be defended not just in the Constitution, but in reality and on ground in our State.

The lawless acts of the Governor, is not just against the law and judgments of Courts,but to frustrate the autonomy of Local Government Administration, which autonomy we have all been clamouring for. A Caretaker is not autonomous but an appendage of the State Governor. The Supreme Court has denounced and cancelled it, the High Court forbids it, and the people reject it.

Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye
ALGON Chairman
Oyo State