Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, a former Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State, has called on Gov. Seyi Makinde to comply with the Supreme Court’s judgment.
Abass-Aleshinloye made the call in a statement on Tuesday in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Supreme Court had on May 7, declared the dissolution of elected council administration in the state by Makinde as illegal.
The court, in its judgment, ordered the governor to pay the balance of salaries and allowances to the dissolved council executives from May 29, 2019 to May 11, 2021 when their respective tenures ended.
The judgment followed a suit filed by the council chairmen over their dissolution on May 2019, a year into their tenure.
Abass-Aleshinloye said the apex court had in its judgment ordered the state to pay the accrued salaries and allowances to the chairmen as compensation on their illegal dissolution.
He said they decided to respond to Makinde’s action by pursuing the path of justice, adding that the governor has no option than to comply with the judgment.
The former ALGON chairman expressed surprise that the governor had not deemed it fit to comply with the judgment which was clear and unambiguous.
Abass-Aleshinloye said that Gov. Bello Masari of Katsina State had since complied with a similar judgment given against him by the apex court.
“Oyo State would not have been put in this position now, if the governor had complied with the judgment.
“Pitifully, there is nothing the governor can do now than to obey this court’s judgment.
“It is trite in law that no matter who you are, how powerful you think you are, the law is above you in a constitutional democracy governed by the rule of law,” he said.
The former chairman said that his executives would pursue their legitimate claims through the path of justice. (NAN)
