Stop Dropping CJN’s Name on Matter Already Ruled Upon By Supreme Court – Former LG Chairmen Tell Makinde

Former local government chairmen and councillors who were sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State in 2019 have cautioned the governor against involving Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN), Kayode Ariwoola, in the case already determined by the Supreme Court.

This disclosure was made by the former Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, while addressing a press conference on behalf of other chairmen and councillors on Wednesday in Ibadan over the refusal of Governor Makinde to pay them their entitlements after sacking them.

It could be recalled that the Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Governor Makinde should pay the sacked chairmen and councillors their entitlements after sacking them, but two years later, the governor only paid part and refused to balance up.

Abass-Aleshinloye said the governor is being petty to say on a radio programme that he would return to the Supreme Court before he would know whether to pay or not.

Answering questions either because CJN Ariwoola may influence the judgement because he is from Oyo State and an associate of the governor, Abass-Aleshinloye and his colleagues said they hold the Supreme Court and the CJN in high esteem and that the Supreme Court can never reverse itself.

They maintained that the integrity of the CJN is intact and that the governor should not drag the CJN into the matter already ruled upon by the Supreme Court.

Speaking further, Abass-Aleshinloye declared that they have lost no fewer than twenty-seven (27) members and noted that the decedents died as a result of the lack of money to take care of their health challenges owing to the non-payment of their entitlements by Makinde.

Abass-Aleshinloye, flanked by other former ALGON members, said that the decedents, among whom are former chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors, died because of the refusal of the governor to pay their entitlements amounting to N4.8b.

He maintained that the governor paid only N1.5b in two batches in 2021 and 2022 out of the N4.8b mandated by the Supreme Court.

Abass-Aleshinloye added that the governor has refused to pay the balance at the moment.

“This media briefing is very important as it concerns the recent media chart by the Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde. We need to address some issues. We have no skeleton in our cupboard.

“27 of us who are in this struggle together have died. I am talking about former chairmen, vice chairmen, and councillors. Some of them could not get money to take care of their health challenges, and this resulted in their deaths. We have been in the struggle since four years ago.

“Our lawyer is taking every necessary step; we will explore all legal means. We have our own technical advisers too.

“Our entitlements are N7.2b; they pleaded, and we agreed on N4.8b in the interest of the state. They only paid N1.5 in two batches. One in 2021 and one in 2022. Since then, they have refused to pay.

“The Supreme Court gave the judgement the same day to Katsina State, and Kastina has paid, but our governor was saying he would return to the Supreme Court on a matter already ruled upon by the same Court.

“This has nothing to do with CJN, whether it is from Oyo State or not, but it is about a constitutional issue, and we are going to employ all constitutional means to reach a logical conclusion.”.

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