A fog of uneasy calm is building at local government secretariats across Oyo State as pockets of protests greet the state government’s announcement of names of those to oversee the affairs of the local governments.
Following the expiration of the three-year terms of the state’s local government chairmen on December 16, the state government, on Thursday, forwarded names of some party members to the state’s House of Assembly to seek its approval for their appointment as caretaker committee chairmen.
The letter, signed by Olayiwola Olakojo, secretary to the state government, argued that the appointments were necessary ‘in order not to allow any vacuum in the local government administration’ in the state.
But, just before the names were approved, some aggrieved members of some of the local governments were already protesting the appointment of their new caretaker committee chairmen.
A group of people from Iseyin local government besieged the entrance of the governor’s office on Thursday, carrying placards to protest the appointment of Olayinka Taiwo, who was returned after the expiration of his tenure.
Most of the names approved by the state government on Thursday were those of the council bosses whose tenure expired on Thursday, but were returned as caretaker committee heads.
Apart from the people who mobilized from the constituencies of the newly appointed caretakers, two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had gone to court to stop the appointment.
Gbenga Bamidele and Ismail Adepoju, in a suit number I/1180/2010, on Thursday, prayed the court to restrain the state government and its legislative arm from appointing caretaker committees to replace the former chairmen.
Abuse of office
The claimants, in the interlocutory injunction, said the governor lacked the power to do so, adding that such action would amount to abuse of office and outright illegality.
Until yesterday when the names of the new interim local government bosses were approved and announced, the state government had denied ever contemplating setting up any caretaker heads to take over from the outgoing chairmen.
Among the 33 local government in the state, the government provided names for 30, while it offered to name heads for Ibadan SouthWest, Ibarapa East and Ibarapa North local governments later. While seeking approval for a special adviser for each of the wards in the local government, the state government announced that the government of the new interim chairmen will be assisted by six members each.
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