The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) in Oyo State, has lauded the Supreme Court verdict on sacked council executives, describing it as victory for democracy.
Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State had on assumption of office, sacked the chairmen and councillors elected under the former government one year into their administration.
Consequently, ALGON, Oyo State Chapter, approached the court over the sack of democratically elected chairmen and councillors, which proceeded from the high court to the apex court.
Finally, the Supreme Court in its judgment on Friday, over ruled the sack of the democratically elected chairmen and councillors and ordered the state government to pay all their entitlements from the date of their sack till their tenure ended.
Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye, the former ALGON Chairman in the state, said the pronouncement of the court would deepen democracy at the grassroots.
Abass-Aleshinloye told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that the apex court had in its judgment shown that justice could only be delayed but not denied.
“It is not about being in the office, it is for us to set the records straight, it is for us to fight for democracy to thrive at the grassroots,” he said.
The former ALGON chairman said the judgment had exposed Makinde’s impunity and mismanagement of the state’s resources.
“Now that the judgment has been given, he has been asked to pay all our entitlements and other payments as ordered by the court.
“Our people can now see that Makinde had since been wasting the state’s resources through duplication of salaries,” he said.
Abass -Aleshinloye commended the legal team for their thoroughness and also thanked the APC and their supporters for standing by them all through the tussle.
He said that the landmark judgment was a great lesson for those governors who were fond of affront and impunity against the law.
(NAN)