Clear indications have emerged as to why the Oyo State Government turned down the conditions submitted to it by the sacked chairmen of the 33 Local Government Areas and 35 Local Council Development Areas of the state for the out-of-court settlement of the crisis rocking the third tier of government.
Sources close to the ongoing peace talks and out-of-court settlement plans said the government’s negotiating team described the position.of ALGON as “absolutist and unacceptable.”
Following the logjam over the local governments in Oyo State, the legal teams of the government and ALGON set up negotiations to amicably settle it.
But sources confirmed that the position by ALGON was completely unacceptable because it was indicative of a complete surrender by the government.
Sources revealed how, for instance, the sacked chairmen had presented terms of settlement, which were not only impossible to be met by government, but also rigid and absolutist.
The sources fingered Niyi Akintola (SAN) and some other key leaders of the All Progressives Congress within and outside Oyo State as being behind the scheme to frustrate Governor Seyi Makinde’s Government.
According to the sources, at the meeting of the parties working on the amicable settlement, the ALGON had presented the following positions:
i.) The mandate of all elected officers, i.e. Chairmen and Vice Chairmen, Councillors, is sacrosanct and non-negotiable
ii.) The positions of Secretary, Chief of Staff and Chairperson are part of the office of the Executive Chairman and should therefore be non-negotiable
iii.) ALGON should also push for the retention of the officers on appointment such as Supervisors, Special Assistants.
But the state government’s counsel, Dr. Akin Onigbinde (SAN), was said to have told ALGON that the terms they gave were absolutist and unacceptable in negotiations as they gave no room for negotiation.
The sources added that though the sacked chairmen’s camp were already divided, with a section of the chairmen willing to settle, the APC leaders, whose interest Akintola represents, have vowed to frustrate the process as they are banking on the Federal Government to fight the Oyo State Government to a finish.
According to one of the sources: “You will note that at the resumed sitting on the matter on Friday, 21 February, 2020, while the counsel of ALGON, Kunle Sobaloju, said his clients would study the terms of the government and give its proposal, Akintola had quickly said ALGON would not accept the terms.
“These were the same terms that ALGON was said to have received and were studying.
“The issue is Akintola is a meddlesome interloper in this matter.
“He claims to be representing the Attorney General of the Federation, who became party to the suit only because of a directive he gave on the sacked chairmen taking over LGs.
“Order than that, AGF has no business in whatever out-of-court settlement discussions on the LG matter and Akintola should not be speaking for ALGON.
“But Akintola is acting the script of the APC leaders at the national and state levels.
“They have met and perfected plans to frustrate and distract Engr. Makinde’s government.
“This is actually another trap after the plot to snatch his mandate through the Supreme Court failed.
“This is one of the traps Teslim Folarin made reference to.”
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