Local Government Chairmen sacked by governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Monday, resumed duties in their respective offices.
Makinde, after his inauguration in May last year, sacked the chairmen, and asked them to hand over to the most senior career officer in their respective councils.
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The council chairmen were elected during the May 12, 2019 Local Government election conducted during the administration of former governor, Abiola Ajimobi.
The sacked chairmen, however, vowed over the weekend to resume duty today, after eight months of legal battle with the state government.
It was gathered that chairmen from 33 Local Government Areas of the 35 Local Council Development Areas resumed in their offices on Monday, with violence reported in some councils.
Ayodeji Abass-Aleshiloye, in Oluyole LGA, resumed and held prayers with some of his followers.
The same was reported in other LGAs such as Ibadan South East, where Bimbo Omiyale resumed office.
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Chairmen in Ibadan East, Ogbomoso Central Local Council Development Area, Iseyin Local Government Area, Itesiwaju and Ibarapa Central LGAs also resumed in their various offices.
Abass-Aleshiloye, who is the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), in the state, insisted that he and his colleagues are ready to cooperate with Makinde to move the state forward at the grassroots.
The ALGON chair, who addressed journalists at ALGON office in Ibadan, maintained that they had employed all peaceful and legal options to reclaim their mandate, eight months after they were sacked.
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He added that their resolve to resume work was premised on Supreme Court judgment, which declared that no governor has the right to unjustly dissolve elected chairmen.
He said: “We have resumed, though NULGE members did not come today. We talked to the people, we held a prayer and we urged people to be law and abiding.
“But, we just heard that there were some hoodlums that are going around to unleash violence on the people. But, we assured people that we will be peaceful. By law, I am the chairmen of Oluyole Local Government Area.
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“I am still compiling the report, we have majority of our people that resumed today, but there are some elements that want to attack us. We have instances in Ekiti, Kwara, Ogun where the sacked Chairmen have been returned. Whey will Oyo state be different?
“This is a self-inflicted pains on the people of Oyo state. For almost 8 months, we have not been in the office, we waited and we are law-abiding people. Makinde has never called us. We must finish our tenures. We have spent one year in the office before he came and we must finish our tenures.”
