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The Association of Local Government Nigeria(ALGON), Oyo State Chapter, has promised to cooperate with the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, if he reconsiders “his illegal dissolution” of elected local councils in the state.
ALGON in a statement on Thursday, signed by its Chairman, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, said effective democratic governance at the grassroots is vital to sustainable development of the country and states of the federation, adding that the call for reinstatement becomes more important now in view of the wave of reconciliation and mutual understanding for peace, democracy and development in the country as exemplified by the governors of Ogun, Ekiti and Kwara states.
Aleshinloye noted that dissolved local government structures in Ogun, Ekiti and Kwara states have been called back to office.
“Governors from opposition parties have also recalled elected local government chairmen and councilors because they also realised that there were subsisting Supreme Court judgements against dissolution of local government, as a constitutionally recognized tier of government, by state governors or the state parliament,” Aleshinloye said.
“Oyo state cannot be an island of disrepute and illegality in the comity of states in Nigeria. We are more than this. The Oyo state governor should toe the line of the rule of law like his peers and reconsider his stand. This is the path of honour, statesmanship and maturity for the sake of grassroots development in the pacesetter state.
“The governor and his administration will be better for it since a democratic local government administration will fully complement some of the implementation of his programmes targetted at the grassroots. A state is incomplete without democratically elected government in place.
“No matter the good intention of the governor, he should note that without the complementary support and role of the local government administrators, such good intention may never be transformed into gainful reality that will benefit the poor people at the local level because of the forced absence of elected local structures. If the governor has done a thorough cost – benefit feedback evaluation, he should have realised this.”
ALGON said it is ready to cooperate with the governor, stressing that he should be a governor for all for the maximum benefit of the state.
Aleshinloye appealed to supporters and residents of the state to remain saying: “There is hope that this cup shall pass soonest.”