Embattled council bosses sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has described as an act of illegality, executive rascality and an affront to the judiciary and the rule of law, the plans of the governor to appoint caretaker chairmen and sole administrators to the 33 local government areas and 35 local council development areas of the state.
The council bosses said the plan is the Governors own way of breaking the peace and return the state to the old days of 'panjere' lawless politics of thuggery.
The chairmen under the aegis of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) spoke during a press conference which held at the Council secretariat, Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan.
All the sacked council bosses and councillors across the state were present at the press conference.
Governor Makinde had through his Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka recently said the state will any moment appoint caretaker chairmen into all the 33 LGAs and sole administrators into the 35 LCDAs ahead of the council polls to be conducted by the first quarter of 2020.
The sacked chairmen said Governor Makinde will be making history as the first governor to breach the NFIU guideline with the move.
Addressing the press in company of other chairmen, the Oyo state ALGON chairman, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye said any attempt by the governor to impose the caretaker committees on the councils when the appeal the state government filed is yet tonne heard and a perpetual restraining order against dissolution of elected council administration is still subsisting, "will be considered as the final push that will exhaust out patience.
" We will be very ready to defend our mandates popularly given by the people who elected us into position of responsibility. You do not sit on a chair that is not vacant except court clears the seat for you or you take the seat by force, a recipe for violence and lawlessness.
"We, the elected chairmen and councillors as members of ALGON, Oyo state have been seeking all constitutional and peaceful means to correct this illegal act of Governor Makinde, but it is now very clear that the government has decided, out of its own volition, to be deaf and dumb to all voices of reason and wisdom in its flagrant disobedience of court order and it is in an hurry to push Oyo state into a state of anomie, a lawless state where the rule of men not rule of law reigns.
"ALGON has resolved at our last meeting that in the event of an invasion of the Council secretariats by the Seyi Makinde Forces of Occupation, we will be more than ready to defend the councils and the sanctity of the people's mandate freely given to us.
"All elected local government chairmen and councillors are hereby put on notice and be atvalert anytime the governor makes his final push. Where tradition is lacking, a striking example is very necessary. Action and reaction are equal and opposite."
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