The Executive Director, World Institute for Peace, Lamina Kamiludeen, has
called on the Osun State Government to stay away from local government matters and focus on its responsibilities.
Kamiludeen while addressing the press on Friday, claimed that the Court of Appeal sitting in Akure had declared the dissolution of the elected APC council officials unlawful and unconstitutional and ordered their immediate reinstatement.
He also said the court affirmed that no state government has the constitutional authority to remove elected local government officials, noting that the said judgment remained valid, subsisting, and binding.
Kamiludeen added that the state government must obey the judgment of the Supreme Court, which he said had clearly ruled that: “Neither the state government nor its agencies has supervisory or financial authority over local governments.”
He maintained that “moving from one lower court to another in an attempt to frustrate council operations is an abuse of judicial process and a deliberate attack on grassroots governance.”
Read more
•Osun pensioners lament suffering, urge Adeleke to prioritise their wellbeing
Speaking further, Kamiludeen said the case filed by the All Peoples Party (APP) on the October 15 local government election, being relied upon by the Peoples Democratic Party and the Osun State Government was no longer relevant.
According to him, “The APP was not a party to the appeal proceedings. The Court of Appeal jjudgmentdid not recognise or grant any relief to APP.
“Any attempt to rely on that case amounts to legal misrepresentation and public deception. The Court of Appeal effectively dismissed all claims inconsistent with the reinstatement of the APC chairmen.”
On local government funds, Kamiludeen said the Federal Government has released local government allocations since last year, adding that “any failure in council operations is not due to non-release of funds but intentional obstruction by the state government.”
Kamiludeen urged the state government to embrace constitutionalism, respect the rule of law, and focus on governance rather than litigation and propaganda.
“The peace, development, and welfare of the grassroots population must never be sacrificed on the altar of politics,” he stated.
