You are still owing us N6bn – Ex-Chairmen tell Makinde

Former chairmen of local government areas in Oyo State have said that the state government led by Engineer Seyi Makinde is still owing them about N6bn.

The former local government helmsmen made this disclosure in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Thursday.

Our correspondent recalls that the former local government chairmen and councilors were sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde in 2019.

The former council officials were elected in 2018 during the administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

After several months of legal battle, the supreme Court ruled that the governor lacks power to sack the elected council officials.

The court then asked the state government to pay the sacked officials their salaries and other entitlements.

DAILY POST gathered that the state government has paid a sum of one billion naira to the former council officials.

But, the former council officials have said that the state is still owing them about N6bn.

The former council officials in a statement signed by Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshiloye, acknowledged the receipt of the N1b from the state government.

They, however, insisted that they were not satisfied with the N1b.

They argued that they were to receive the sum of N7b and not N1b.

Abass-Aleshinloye said, “We, the former democratically elected Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, wish to acknowledge the payment of One Billion Naira (N1 bn) by Oyo State Government, the Judgement Debtors in Suit No. SC/CV/556/ 2020.

“The part payment of One billion Naira by Gov. Seyi Makinde led Oyo State Government, is sequel to the Supreme Court Judgment delivered on 7th May,2021, which inter alia, ordered that Gov. Makinde should pay all salaries and allowances of all the elected Chairmen and Councilors of the 33 Local Government Councils and 35 Local Government Development Areas, who were parties / appellants to the suit.

“After series of rigmarole, deliberate delay of payment by Oyo State Government, the representatives of elected Chairmen and Councilors under the auspices of ALGON and our brilliant and resilient lawyers, eventually met with the representatives of Oyo State Government. At the end, it was unanimously agreed after careful calculations that the total judgment payment is N7. 056 billion Naira after deductions of PAYE.

“So, we are surprised that in the public statement issued by Oyo State Government, the general public was misinformed that it had paid One Billion Naira out of a total sum of Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy Four Million, Eight Hundred and Eight Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Five Naira, Sixty Kobo. (N4, 874, 889, 465 : 60).

“For the avoidance of doubt, we reiterate that the total judgment payment as jointly calculated and agreed with the state government is Seven Billion, Fifty Six Million Naira Only (N7. 056 billion).

“We also reiterate that the One Billion Naira paid by the Oyo State Government is just about 14% of the amount Supreme Court directed the Oyo State Government to pay us and we consider this to be a flagrant disobedience of the order of the Supreme Court as the court did not at anytime order that the judgment sum be paid in installments”.