Claims made by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde that the state does not have the resources to pay the N3.4 billion debt owing to former local government area chairmen and councilors he fired on May 29, 2019, have been refuted by Oyo State Accountant-General, Mrs. K. O. Adegoke.

In a recent document submitted to a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court by a state banker, Adegoke outlines his stance on a garnishee action that the former council heads started. The garnishee case was started against Makinde, Oyo State, and other parties after the Abuja Court of Appeal's Dec. 8, 2023 ruling, which mandated that the governor settle the debt, now N3,425,300,000.

Oyo Attorney General criticizes Makinde's assertion Printed on January 7, 2024, by Matthew Atungwu Claims made by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde that the state does not have the resources to pay the N3.4 billion debt owing to former local government area Chairmen and councilors that he fired on May 29, 2019, have been refuted by Oyo State Accountant-General, Mrs. K. O. Adegoke. In a recent document submitted to a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court by a state banker, Adegoke outlines his stance on a garnishee action that the former council heads started.

The garnishee case was started against Makinde, Oyo State, and other parties after the Abuja Court of Appeal's Dec. 8, 2023 ruling, which mandated that the governor settle the debt, now N3,425,300,000. The state's account with First Bank of Nigeria Limited had adequate cash, according to the Oyo A-G's court record, and the bank had been instructed to set aside N3,425,300,000 to satisfy the judgment debt that remained due.

In a ruling on May 7, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that Makinde's dismissal of the council officials before the conclusion of their three-year term was illegal. Additionally, the Oyo State Government later assessed that he should have been paid N4,874,889,425.60 in wages and allowances for the tenure, which the highest court ordered him to pay.

In 2022, the governor approved the payment of N1.5 billion, leaving N3,374,889,425.60 unpaid. Later, on April 3, 2023, the Makinde applied with the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, pleading for permission to settle the unpaid debt in installments of N300 million every six months. Justice Anote Ebong denied their request. Among other things, he had stated in the application that Oyo State lacked the funds to pay the judgment debt and that if the debt were settled in a way other than his suggested one, the state would not be able to fulfill its commitments.