PRESIDENT Umaru Yar’Adua, on Tuesday, in Abuja, gave reasons why he would move against Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State over the controversial 37 local development council areas in the state.
But the traditional rulers in the Lagos State have expressed support for Governor Fashola, urging him to retain the status quo in relation to the Federal Government ultimatum.
Speaking with journalists before travelling to Brazil on a state visit, the president said, however, that before taking any action, he would give Governor Fashola the opportunity of resolving the logjam through dialogue.
He, however, added that the governor would be compelled to revert to the original 20 local government-structure after talks might have failed. He said the matter went beyond the issue of ultimatum.
He said: “I don’t know what ultimatum. I don’t think the issue between the Federal Government and the Lagos State translates as ultimatum.
“What has happened was that I wrote to the Lagos State governor, drawing his attention to the fact that both himself and myself have sworn to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of this country and that the action of the Lagos State Government and the state INEC was unconstitutional, because the constitution provides for only 20 local governments in Lagos State and I advised the Lagos State governor to take steps to rectify this unconstitutional act.
“He replied me, quoting the State Statutes and putting forward his legal position that they did not violate the constitution. I have referred his reply to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to study the reply and advise me.
“What I am determined to do is that what is constitutional must be adhered to. So if the argument put forward cannot stand on the violation of the constitution, I will invite him to discuss further and dialogue, so that this can be resolved peacefully.
“But the bottomline is that, the constitution cannot be compromised. The constitution must not be violated. If at the end of the day, dialogue fails to resolve the situation, then the Federal Government will be forced to take measures that will ensure that the Lagos State government, its SIEC and other agencies are compelled to abide by the constitution. This is a process that will take some few months and I hope that we will be able to resolve the issue through constructive dialogue.
“Our democracy is still young. We are bound to make mistakes here and there but the important thing is that we must work hard to ensure that the rule of law works in this country. We know it is not easy but it is important to our survival.”
On the crisis plaguing the education sector, Yar’Adua explained: “We have been doing everything possible to stop the crisis. I have met with their officials and the vice-president to re-assess the situation on the crisis with ASUU to see what step, again, the government can take to bring it to an end.
“We are anxious; we are, disturbed that we should keep our students in the universities at home for a very long period of time. “One central issue of the disagreement is not even that of negotiation of salaries but the issue of signing an agreement with ASUU. It is this collective bargaining and signing agreement with ASUU that is against our laws and legal system.
“ASUU is an organisation with membership cutting across federal and state governments. The Federal Government cannot sign an agreement on behalf, for instance, Lagos State or Kano State, to dictate what they are going to pay to lecturers in their own universities.
“The laws of this country have provided for separation of powers. The Lagos State University or Kano State University belongs to the state.
They employ the lecturers there; they pay them; they discipline them; they promote them; they also pay their salaries, allowances and everything and we don’t have control over their funds. Their funds are appropriated by their state Houses of Assembly. We can’t direct them by law to say that they should pay their lecturers so so amount of salaries.
This is what we are telling them, that let us have your agreement. We are not opposed to it but we will not sign a collective agreement to cut across all tiers of government, because we don’t have the constitutional power to do that.
“This is very clear. In this nation, we must respect our laws and this is one of the main points of contention. We told them that for federal universities, the Federal Government will provide the money. But for the state governments, let them go and negotiate with the state governments.
“If Rivers can pay the staff of Rivers State University that amount, may be Kano cannot afford to pay the same amount. Meanwhile, Lagos State Traditional Rulers and Chiefs, on Tuesday, rose in support of the position of the state government on, the demand to return the state to 20 local government areas, advising President Yar’Adua to seek redress in court instead of resorting to threats.
At a fully attended meeting at the Regency Hall, Ikeja, the traditional rulers and chiefs, under the chairmanship of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, produced a 19-point communique, which they proceeded to hand over to Governor Fashola at the State House, Ikeja.
In it, the traditional rulers viewed the ultimatum to the Lagos State government as uncalled for and provocative in view of the fact that the Supreme Court had long ruled that the creation of the local council development areas was in order.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Tuesday, condemned the sectarian violence which has led to loss of many lives.
He said the unnecessary loss of human lives and the destruction of property as a result of militants attacks were reprehensible.
Ban’s spokesperson, Farhan Haq, told journalists in response to a question that the secretary-general expressed the hope that “those behind the attacks will be identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment