Osun LG Caretaker Committees An Aberration — Democracy Vanguard

A pro-democracy group, Democracy Vanguard has stated that the setting up of local government caretaker committees in Osun State by the state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola remains an aberration to the Nigerian Constitution.

It also cited that it was illegal, unconstitutional and to the extent of its inconsistency with the Nigerian constitution, remained null and void.

In a press release signed by its Osun Coordinator, Olowu Emmanuel and made available to the media on Monday, it stated that it has become necessary to correct and caution some government officials on their deliberate misinformation over the unlawful setting up of the local government caretaker committees by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola through the instrumentality of the Osun State House of Assembly.

Democracy Vanguard explained that since the setting up of the caretaker committee is a contraption unknown to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Supreme Court has made several judicial pronouncements on the illegality of any governor and the state assembly to set up such an unelected and undemocratic committee.

It also noted that the Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipidan had misinterpreted the constitution when he claimed that the state government never flouted the laws guiding the Administration of Local Government by appointing caretaker committees, adding that he further misinformed the people when he said that anything that was covered by the law (OSHA law) cannot be regarded as an aberration.

“It is elementary knowledge of the law that the Nigerian Constitution supersedes any state or local government law, and it takes superiority over any other law that is inconsistent with it. The supremacy of the Nigerian constitution is never and cannot be in doubt,” he said.

While quoting relevant sections of the constitution to buttress their point, Democracy Vanguard reasserted its position that the setting up of undemocratic caretaker committees to run the affairs of local government in Osun state is illegal, undemocratic, and unconstitutional.

The group maintained that it shall continue to agitate for the conduct of a free, fair, and credible local government election in the state through all available measures permitted by the law.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipidan had featured in a media parley in Osogbo where he had made the claim that the appointment of caretaker committee at the local government level was not an aberration.