FactCheck: Did Governor Seyi Makinde Mandate Oyo Local Government Chairmen to Disassociate from ALGON?

BY: Sunday Taiwo

Claim: 

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State mandated all 33 Local Government Chairmen to hold a joint press conference, disassociating themselves from the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and opposing the recent Supreme Court judgment on local government financial autonomy.

Verdict: 

Misleading! While it is true that Oyo State local government chairmen have created an OYOLGON — Oyo State chapter of ALGON, it should be stated that the decision does not mean they are completely disassociated from ALGON and the decision to break away does not oppose the Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy.

Full text:

Reports circulating on social media alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has mandated all 33 Local Government Chairmen to hold a joint press conference.

The purported directive aims to have them disassociate themselves from the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and express opposition to the recent Supreme Court ruling on local government financial autonomy.

This news has gained traction across various blogs, WhatsApp groups, and popular media platforms. 

Some view Governor Makinde’s directive as a commendable move, while others criticize it as a desperate power grab.

Critics argue that the state’s decision to withhold allocations to local governments has exacerbated hardships for citizens, who are deprived of the benefits of democracy at the grassroots level.

This tension has prompted many to voice their concerns and call out their Local Government Chairmen for their loyalty.

Recall that on July 11, the apex court issued a landmark judgment affirming the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments and condemning the dissolution of elected local government councils by state governors.

Justice Emmanuel Agim, delivering the ruling, stated: “It is the position of this court that the federation can pay local government allocations directly to the local governments or through the states.

In this case, since paying them through the states has not worked, justice demands that local government allocations from the federation account should henceforth be paid directly to the local governments.” He said: “I hold that the states’ retention of local government funds is unconstitutional.”

Verification

To verify this development, FactCheckAfrica contacted Hon. Akeem Oukitibi, the Chairman of Oyo West Local Government and ALGON Tenders’ Board, who refuted the claim.

“That’s not correct. What we did was to tell anybody that cares to listen that we have our loyalty with our Governor, and the Governor has been governing Oyo State since Omituntun1.0, which is five years back. I believe he’s still capable, willing, and able to govern Oyo State.”

When asked if their loyalty means the Supreme Court’s ruling that the LG allocation be paid directly into their accounts won’t be operational in Oyo State, he responded, “How can that be possible? Nobody has issues with the SC judgment. That’s what the Federal Government wants, and that’s what will be.”

We also inquired if it’s true that the Oyo State LG Chairmen are planning to form a new association and dissociate from ALGON as popularly claimed.

He clarified, “It is not about ‘we are planning to’; we are now OYOLGON—Oyo State Chapter of ALGON. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

However, Oyo State is part of the 36 states, and the decision does not mean we are not part of ALGON.”

To further verify the claim, we tried reaching the Oyo State ALGON Chairman, Hon. Sikiru Sanda for his comments but as at the time of filing this report he is not reachable via calls nor did he reply to his message.

Formation of OYOLGON

The Oyo West LG Chairman’s acknowledgment of the creation of OYOGON reflects resolutions from a communiqué signed by all 33 chairmen after a closed-door meeting held on Saturday, August 3, 2024, in Ibadan. The communiqué reads in part:

“At the general meeting of all the Local Government Councils of Oyo State, held on Saturday, August 3, 2024, in Ibadan, it was voluntarily agreed and resolved as follows:

“That in order to inter alia protect the interest of our people, we should forthwith form an umbrella association. Such organisation will be registered under the relevant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its membership shall be institutionally-represented by chairmen of respective local councils.

“That the association shall remain committed to the democratic ideas of the system of local government as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

“Furthermore, the association shall ensure the delivery of the real development in local councils in the overall interest of the people at the local level.”

Following the apex court’s ruling on local government autonomy, Governor Seyi Makinde had held a consultative meeting with stakeholders in local government administration in the state, where he outlined potential challenges with the payment of salaries and pensions, including the N55 billion still owed to pensioners, which the current state structure was helping to reduce.

He affirmed, “The law is the law, and when there is a conflict, yes, we should go to the court. But it behooves us to look for our own home-grown solutions that can ensure we have transparency and that our people do not suffer.

“We are a responsible administration in Oyo State. We don’t need the federal government to tell us what to do. We know what to do, and we know what is good for our people.”

Conclusion 

FactCheckAfrica’s thorough investigation revealed that the claim about Governor Seyi Makinde’s directive to Oyo State’s local government chairmen is misleading.

While it is true that the local government chairmen have formed OYOLGON, this does not imply a complete disassociation from ALGON, nor does it indicate opposition to the Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments.

It is crucial for the public to rely on verified sources and accurate information to avoid the spread of false information, especially on sensitive matters involving governance and public administration.

Edited by Habeeb Adisa