Oyo LCDAs: Explore out- of court settlement

Permit to write about the Oyo State local government election which was suspended based on an Abuja High Court order on Friday January 19, 2017, due to the grievances of some chiefs in Oyo West, Atiba  and Oyo East Local overnment on the creation of Local Development Area Councils. Their reason for going to court, according to media reports, was that their domains were ceded to another local government.

I believe going to court to suspend the election into LGs and LCDAs is not the best step to tackle the issue of the domains that were ceded to Afijo Local Government. The issue can be settled amicably instead of going to court.

The court order will not only affect the date of the election, it will also serve as a hindrance to the allocation of local governments from the Federal Government.

Local government employees will not be paid their monthly salaries and each worker represents a family in the state. In a state like Oyo where the government is finding it difficult to pay salaries due to insufficient funds, adding this to the equation will be too big a burden to bear.

Another thing is that the court order will continue to strengthen the caretaker chairmen in the state. The suspension will give them the opportunity to continue with their assignments, which will not be the best thing to happen to a state that has not conducted election for over six years. Not having elected representative at the grass-roots level might also slow down the pace of projects as well.

I will implore the Obas, Baales and elders of the affected local governments to consider the out-of-court settlement option for the sake of local government employees, the Obas, chiefs and the citizens of Oyo State as a whole. They should consider the welfare of the people and the development of the grass-roots.

• Esther Olowoyeye, Ibadan.