Socialists Party of Nigeria SPN Oyo state chapter has frowned at the process of termination of local government chairmen’s tenure by the executive Governor of the state Engineer Oluseyi Makinde
They also described the decision by the Governor of Oyo State to as a reflection of a struggle for a political domination and control of local government resources between two different sections of the same class of pro-capitalist politicians.
The council chairmen who were elected in 2018 during the Abiola Ajimobi led administration were sacked by his successor on may 29.
SPN in a statement signed by the State secretary, Comrade Ayodeji Adigun believes that the instrument of law should have been used to effect and carry out the removal of the so called 33 LGA and 35LCDA chairmen.
According to the opposition party “The failure of Seyi Makinde to revert to the rule of law to carry out its action raises a suspicion that his motive behind the removal of the sacked LGA and LCDA chairmen just like his predecessors could be a calculated attempt for him to undemocratically impose his own stooges.”
, “The implication is that should Engr. Seyi Makinde successfully remove the illegal 33 LGA and 35 LCDA chairmen through his crude and unlawful method, it will only end up, sharing both the electable and unelectable positions at the local government levels among pliable elements or family members/acolytes of the bourgeois politicians.”
“ These are people who can easily be manipulated or used as rubberstamp of his government plan which is usually centred on how the funds and revenues of local councils will continue to be diverted for pecuniary interests of the state government without the people being able to decide how funds allocated to the local councils are to be spent.”
“Therefore, SPN believes that to end all forms of impunity and illegality that today characterize the local government system, it will require a full democratization of the process of the local government election and administration of the local government itself that will involve the active participation of the elected representative of workers and community. This agitation must also be extended to the campaign for removal of the reactionary provisions of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to the effect that the state governments should superintend over the funds of local government”
They however called on the leadership of the Nigeria Union Local Government Employee, NULGE not to relent in its age-long campaign and agitation for the full local government autonomy that will not compromise the regular payment the salary and allowance of both the primary school and local government workers. “
