Makinde Urged to  Reopen Closed Customary Courts in Oyo

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state, yesterday, took a swipe at Governor Seyi Makinde, for crippling virtually all institutions of democracy and governance in the state, describing the development as unhealthy, dangerous and condemnable.

The party in a statement in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, also berated the decision of the governor to shut down all Customary Courts across the state since May last year for inexplicable reasons denying the people access to the services of the judiciary at the grassroots level.

He said the 33 local government councils and the 35 local council development areas in the state offer little or nothing in terms of service to the masses despite the fact that huge monthly allocations come to them from the federal government, lamenting that council officials have no control over both the funds accrued to them from Abuja as well as the internally generated revenue since everything find their way to the governor who decides on what to do with the monies.

He said: “Gov. Makinde and the few men around him have turned funds meant for the effective and efficient running local government system in the state into their own personal resources which they must control as they like.” 

“Every month, they design programmes and projects for these councils and then order large chunk of money to be deducted from source through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. They leave only the amount required to pay salary and wages.

“As a result of this, no single council chairman can do anything outside payment of salary to the staff and political office holders. This explains why handlers of these local government councils cannot meet up with the yearning of the masses while the state suffer for it a great deal. Community roads are in a deplorable shape, the whole environment is messy, roadside traders are everywhere and those expected to take responsibility are crippled.”

The party further urged the governor to immediately reopen all Customary Courts closed down since May 2021 and reconstitute the body of law administrators and mediators constitutionally saddled with the running of these courts in the interest of justice and the citizenry.

He said, “Impeccable sources have it that Gov. Makinde ordered the closure of all the 165 Customary Court buildings and structures since May last year for no reason other than what he claimed to be their failure to generate enough revenue for the state.

“This open display of insensitivity has practically denied people access to the court at the grassroots level and thereby increased the rate of domestic violence, petty crimes and undue tension in the society. Also, about 495 judicial officers have been rendered jobless while nobody seems to care because a governor who is an expert in pretence and fake populism is involved here.

“Regrettably, the legislative arm made up 27 PDP members out of a total of 32 cannot do anything to checkmate the excesses of Gov. Makinde who had cowed them to kick against the popular agitation for local government autonomy. The current Hon. Debo Ogundoyin -led House of Assembly needs to prove the bookmakers wrong by waking up from its slumber and demonstrate the willpower to serve the people of the state genuinely and a few individuals made of the governor and his cronies.”