A group of 303 former elected councillors from Oyo State’s 33 local government areas have filed a lawsuit against Governor Seyi Makinde at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan Judicial Division.
The councillors, who served from May 2021 to May 2024, claim they were underpaid or not paid their salaries, furniture allowances, and severance benefits.
The councillors are seeking an order compelling Governor Makinde to pay the outstanding ₦5,705,325,480.20, broken down into :
- Unpaid salaries
- Furniture allowances
- Severance gratuities
According to court documents, the councillors were paid far below the approved rate by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). Specifically:
- Legislative leaders were entitled to ₦564,259.15 monthly but were shortchanged by ₦14.6 million
- Non-legislative councillors were entitled to ₦19 million each but were shortchanged by ₦13.3 million
This lawsuit is not the first time the ex-council chiefs have demanded payment. In 2021, the Supreme Court ordered the Oyo State Government to pay their salaries and allowances for the three years they should have served. However, the government has yet to fully comply with the ruling .
In a similar case, 796 former Local Government Chairmen and Councillors demanded payment of outstanding salaries and allowances amounting to ₦3,374,889,425.60. The Court of Appeal confirmed the payment in a recent hearing.
