Author: The Nation

• Refers case for mediation

The Court of Appeal in Abuja insisted yesterday that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde must pay the outstanding salaries and allowances of the local government chairmen and councillors he sacked upon assuming office on May 29, 2019.

 Justice Elfreda Williams-Daudu, who led a three-member panel of the court, said the question was not about whether Makinde will pay, but the mode of payment.

She said it was important that the victim’s interest be taken into consideration, in view of information that some of them had died waiting for justice.

Justice Williams-Daudu spoke during hearing of the appeal filed by the Makinde and six others against the April 27 orders of Justice A. O. Ebong of an Abuja High Court, in furtherance of a Supreme Court judgment given on May 7, 2021, ordering Makinde to pay the outstanding salaries and allowances of the sacked council officials.

At yesterday’s hearing, lawyer to Ajuwon and others, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), said there was no dispute about whether or not Makinde could immediately pay the N1.3 billiion as ordered by Justice Ebong, because the bank has written to confirm so.

The court thus asked lawyers to parties to work out a way to ensure prompt payment, following which Justice Williams-Daudu directed that the case file be transferred to the mediation court and adjourned till July 6 for report.

According to her, the process will be swift ‘because it is faster and devoid of undue rigidity as it is with the normal court process.

Justice Williams-Daudu’ also told the governor’s lawyers to ensure that senior government officials who are to take decisions are to represent the state and governor during the mediation process.

“We don’t want a director to say he or she is not in a position to take decisions or needs to obtain permission from another person,” she added.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appointed Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC), Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, as Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The governor also re-appointed Tayo Ayinde and Gboyega Soyannwo as his Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff.

The appointments were announced yesterday by the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola. They take immediate effect.

Mrs. Salu-Hundeyin, a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, represented Lagos State at the NPC until her appointment.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has also approved the reappointment of Tokunbo Talabi as the SSG, and Toyin Taiwo as his Deputy Chief of Staff.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Waheed Adesina, said the appointments take immediate effect.

The Ondo State government has debunked rumours of crack in the State Executive Council headed by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, also said in a statement that the governor is not incapacitated.

The statement reads: “The attention of Ondo State government has been drawn to a skewed report on the purported split in its cabinet. This malicious report toes the same insidious path of perfidy already trodden by certain purveyors of speculatory hagiography designed to mislead the public.

“Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, is not incapacitated. The finality with which the report concluded on his state of health is most unfortunate. Another online medium had peddled the wicked lie on the demise of the governor in Germany, when he was resting in Ibadan.

“The cabinet cannot be disunited when directives emanate from the governor’s office. There is no ambiguity in that respect. The public are enjoyed to disregard the wicked rumour of incapacitation. We reiterate that the governor has been discharging the functions of his office effectively. Governance requires collectivity. The fixation on the governor is mischievous. There is no crisis in the state. Political jobbers should steer clear.”

Former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola alleged yesterday that he was prevented from coming to Osun State, where he was governor for eight years, by the administration that succeeded him.

He spoke in Osogbo at a Colloquium organised to welcome him home and mark his 66th birthday.

Aregbesola said: “I did not neglect any group or individual in Osun when I was in government. When I left in November 27, 2019, they prevented me from entering Osun for four years; they even hauled stones, insults, curses on me and my supporters. I came back home to Osun and we are well received, God should be praised. We came in through Ilesha to Osogbo, residents were praising me. The market women received me so well, they sang that ‘dangunro ose je’ (Dangunro can’t be chewed), and left their goods to follow me.

“We can’t have God and people, and still live in fear. If anybody has the two and still lives in fear, something is wrong with such individual. My mother’s maiden name is Aduroja (Wait to fight). As a grandchild of Aduroja, I can’t see war and flee. But religion and culture taught us to fight carefully as we age, that is why I am dropping war. Those that lied against us, those that pitched tent against us for survival sake and others, let us come together for reconciliation. I don’t have much to say but thanksgiving. My star will blaze again, God has assured me.”

However, Aregbesola visited the state many times during the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola which succeeded him.

Aregbesola’s supporters within the state All Progressives Congress (APC) formed The Osun Progressives (TOP), which worked against the party’s interest during the July 2022 governorship election won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Ademola Adeleke, and the February 25 presidential election which APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, lost – the only state in the Southwest won by the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar.

Aregbesola did not vote in the elections.

He added yesterday that: “We are doing our best to ensure the party holds itself together and consolidate our strength for reflective mobilisation and advancement. All I know is that the party has the potential for greatness, but there is a need for consolidation, that is all I have been preaching and advocating. I believe those who are ready, who are willing to have the party properly positioned for political work will heed our word for effective consolidation.”

• Don’t divide residents along ethnic lines, Rhodes-Vivour tells speaker

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa has said the legislature will make laws in the areas of property and economy to protect indigenes.

Obasa, who was unanimously re-elected as speaker after a proclamation of the Tenth Assembly, stated this in his acceptance speech.

 The speaker said ‘Lagos is a Yoruba land, and laws passed by this Assembly will now be translated to Yoruba language’. He added that the assembly will ensure that laws are made to protect the interests of the indigenous people, stressing that lawmakers will ‘reverse all that is reversible to protect the interest of the indigenes’.

He said: “Lagos is a Yoruba land as against the assertions of some people that it is a no-man’s land. Therefore, part of our legislative agenda is to ensure the translation of laws passed by this House to Yoruba Language.

“We also aim at creating a robust legislative framework that protects the interest of our people. We will employ all legislative instruments for the support of the indigenes of Lagos. There would be laws and resolutions in the areas of economy and commerce, property and titles.”

In the build-up to the February and March elections in Lagos, there were divisive statements made on and off social media. The rhetoric heightened tension during the election, with reports of intimidation and harassment of voters rife across the state.

 But the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, slammed Obasa for saying the Assembly will make laws to protect the property right of indigenes.

 Rhodes-Vivour, through his twitter handle, warned the speaker against laws that will divide Lagos residents along ethnic lines.

According to him, any law that seeks to reverse property rights in favour of the indigenous people, at the expense of other residents, is divisive and not in the economic interest of Lagos.

He added: “By considering this regressive bill, the speaker disregards the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and perpetuates a discriminatory system that divides our society along ethnic lines. The proposed bill undermines the principle of private ownership and could severely affect investment, economic growth, and overall prosperity in Lagos State. By considering such legislation, the speaker is sending a damaging message to local and international investors, discouraging their participation and confidence in the state’s economy.”

Rhodes-Vivour instead asked the Assembly to advocate laws that would ‘protect heritage, historical sites, and traditional institutions from political vandalism’.