The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said the judgement of the Supreme Court affirming financial autonomy for local government councils has created more confusion in the country.
Mr Makinde stated this during an emergency consultative stakeholder meeting on Monday.
The governor, who set up technical and legal committees to review the Supreme Court judgement, said the problem confronting Nigeria was not how to share money but how to become more productive and create economic prosperity.
Mr Makinde said: “I believe a lacuna has been created between the decision and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We all swore to uphold the constitution, but the law is the law.
“If the law is in conflict, it behoves on us to look for our own home-grown solution that can ensure that we have transparency and operate with our people. This is because when two elephants are fighting, the grass will suffer.
“The Supreme Court just basically said to us that governors don’t have the right to dissolve the councils, but why did I dissolve them then?
“It was because elections were held into the LCDAs, and the same Supreme Court has basically now said that only 774 LGAs in Nigeria.
“So, there is confusion in the land, but when you have confusion, what it means is that the structure is shaking, and we have to remove much of those confusions as much as possible.
“So, we will be outlining the major challenges we have at the local government areas, so that we can develop our own solution. On the issue of LG elections in Oyo State, we don’t have caretaker committees at the local level.
“We planned the elections in a way that not a single day was given out. We have a responsible government in Oyo State, we don’t need the federal government to tell us what to do. We know what is good, and we know what is good for our people.”
Similarly, the state attorney general and commissioner for Justice, Oyo State, Abiodun Aikomo, and commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters, Ademola Ojo, said the two committees are tasked with the responsibility of reviewing the specifics of the Supreme Court ruling and proposing a detailed implementation plan that adheres to both constitutional requirements and practical considerations in the best interest of the people.
Mr Aikomo added that the mandate of the committees includes a review and recommendation for new frameworks for the implementation of financial autonomy,
Present at the consultative stakeholders meeting are members of Oyo State chapter, the Association of Local Government Administration, ALGON, the chairman House of Assembly Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Others are representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress,TUC, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE and Nigeria Union of Pensioners, NUP.
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