Confusion In Ekiti As Sacked Council Chiefs Defy Fayemi

Seven of the 16 sacked local government chairmen in Ekiti State on Monday defied the order by the state government directing them to steer clear of their various offices following the dissolution of the councils last Friday.

LG Circuit learnt that chairmen of Ijero, Ido-Osi, Ikole, Moba, Omuo, Ekiti-West and Efon council areas ignored the heavy presence of security operatives in their council secretariats and reported for duty.

They were, however, prevented from entering the premises with their vehicles by the policemen who claimed that they were acting on instruction.

It was gathered that workers in the various councils and the security operatives only allowed the chairmen into their offices and prevented other political appointees and councillors from gaining entrance.

The situation, however, took a violent dimension in Ado and Ikere councils, as the political office holders were prevented from entering the secretariat.

It was learnt that some people whose identities could not be readily ascertained, mobilised themselves to the two council secretariats, chased some political office holders on sight and injured some of them.

The sacked chairman of Efon Local Government Area, Chief Idowu Akinyele, said he decided to resume duty in compliance with the Peoples Democratic Party’s directive to them to disregard the governor’s directive.

Akinyele maintained that since their purported sack had not been communicated to them in writing, they cannot act on a radio announcement by the Secretary to the State Government.

His Ikole council counterpart, Wole Ayeni, in his reaction, cited Section 23B (1) and (2) of the Local Government Administration Law of 2001 as amended, which gives the executive governor of the state power to dissolve the council executives subject to approval of two-thirds of members of the state House of Assembly.

According to him, a legal suit had been instituted against the state government over the dissolution of the councils and the case before Justice Daramola was adjourned till 9 November, 2010, adding that the governor’s action was subject to contempt of court.

He reminded Fayemi that he was elected just the way the council chairmen were elected, adding that he derived his victory from the court but decided to abuse the constitution in order to have his way, vowing that all legal terms would be used to force the governor to reverse the decision.

But Fayemi has warned that the state government would take decisive legal steps if the deposed council chairmen continued to take laws into their hands by hindering workers from performing their lawful duties.

Fayemi, who gave this warning while addressing traditional rulers in the state at their first meeting since his emergence as governor, reiterated that his administration was committed to the rule of law and would not do anything that would undermine it.

The governor explained that the dissolution was informed by the striking out of the suit filed by the ousted council chiefs and condemned the attempts of the erstwhile chairmen to hinder workers from performing their lawful duties.

Fayemi said his administration was committed to the unity and development of the state and would not compromise on the efforts at maintaining peace in the state.

He assured that his administration would not discriminate against anybody or group of people, promising to accord topmost priority to the welfare of traditional rulers in the state, vowing, however, not to rescind his decision on the sacking of the council chairmen and promised to announce the caretaker committees that will run the affairs of the councils this week.

Senior Special Assistant to Fayemi on Media, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu, said government was still consulting with stakeholders on the nominees that will head councils.

Fayemi maintained that the state electoral body that organised the election that produced the sacked council bosses was illegal since the body was not properly constituted.

Meanwhile, the executives of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees on Monday directed their members to stay away from their offices pending the return of peace to the councils.

The directive was given by the state chapter of NULGE when some council chairmen stormed the secretariats in their bid to return to office in spite of Governor Fayemi’s pronouncement to the contrary.

Chairman of NULGE in the state, Mr. Ayo Afolalu, said the action was aimed at protecting his members from attack.

In a related development, members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have condemned the dissolution of the 16 local governments by the state government, saying it was illegal because the action was not approved by the legislature.

The Leader of the PDP in the state assembly, Mr. Layi Oke from Ijero Constituency, said in Ado-Ekiti that the caucus condemned the action because it was done without the approval of the House as required by the law.

According to him, “we just came back from Germany where we went on a legislative tour only to be informed that the governor had dissolved the local governments in a military manner and without recourse to the state House of Assembly.

“The PDP Caucus in the Ekiti State House of Assembly wants to believe that the dissolution is not true because Governor Kayode Fayemi is a product and an advocate of the rule of law and due process.

“Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who became governor of Ekiti State through the judicial process, should and can not do anything that negate the constitution of Nigeria.

“We still want to believe that the dissolution is a rumour, but if it is true that the governor dissolved the councils without recourse to the House, the PDP caucus says the dissolution is illegal and will not stand the test of time.

“We want to remind the governor that the dissolution of the local governments must be approved by two-thirds members of the state House of Assembly.

“The PDP caucus will use all legal means to correct the illegality being perpetrated by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government in Ekiti State, which is barely two weeks in the saddle.

“We have noted that the rule of law only thrives where it favours the ACN.”

In his reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Mojeed Jamiu, said “the governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi dissolved the executives of the councils by the power conferred on him by Section 23 b(1) of the amended Constitution governing the administration of local government in the state which empowered him to dissolve the executives of the councils in the public interest.”

He noted that there were court cases on the election conducted by the Oni administration in the first instance as it was said to have been marred by irregularities.

Jamiu said some council officials, following the Court of Appeal’s verdict that sacked the Oni administration, knew that the time was up for them, adding, “this is a clear case that they knew that the new administration would review their various claims to electoral victory,” Jamiu added.

Fayemi had on Friday last week, sacked all the 16 council chairmen and 177 councillors elected on the platform of the PDP in December 2008 for a three-year tenure.

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