May 29, 2025
News Desk
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has been sued at the National Industrial Court, Ibadan Judicial Division, by 303 former elected councillors from the state’s 33 local government areas over the alleged non-payment of their salaries and allowances.
303 Ex-Councillors Sued Governor Makinde Over ₦5.7Billion Unpaid Salaries, Allowances and the over due entitlements.
The development gathered from the Industrial Court Siting in New Adeoyo, Ring road, Ibadan,
Confirmed that the Concillors are suing for themselves and on behalf of 303 members of 32 Local Government Legislative Councils who served across the state from May 2021 to May 2024.
The total sum outstanding on salaries, furniture allowances, and severance benefits payable to all the councillors (both legislative and non-legislative leaders) represented in the suit amounts to ₦5,705,325,480.20 (Five Billion, Seven Hundred and Five Million, Three Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Eighty Naira, Twenty Kobo).
In the suit filed at the National Industrial Court, Mr. Muili Kazeem, Mr. Alabi Olasunkanmi, Mr. Waheed Shehu, Mr. Adekitan Lateef, and Mr. Adelowu Mufutau are acting as representatives of the Oyo State Councillors’ Forum.
They are suing for themselves and on behalf of 303 members of 32 Local Government Legislative Councils who served across the state from May 2021 to May 2024.
The Executive Governor of Oyo State, Gov Makinde is named as the first defendant in the case, alongside the Attorney General of Oyo State, the Accountant-General of Oyo State, the 33 Local Government Councils in the state, and the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
The plaintiffs, who served as councillors between May 2021 and May 2024, claim that they were not paid their due salaries and allowances throughout their tenure and have now resorted to legal action due to the government’s failure to respond to repeated demands.
In a witness statement on oath filed before the court and signed by one of the representatives, Mr. Muili Kazeem, the claimants are seeking an order compelling Governor Makinde to pay the outstanding ₦5,705,325,480.20, covering unpaid salaries, furniture allowances, and severance gratuities for all 303 councillors.
According to court documents, the councillors—275 non-legislative members and 28 legislative leaders—claim they were severely underpaid throughout their three-year tenure from May 2021 to May 2024.
Mr. Kazeem, representing the claimants, said legislative leaders were entitled to ₦564,259.15 monthly, amounting to ₦20.3 million over the 36-month tenure, while non-legislative councillors were entitled to ₦19 million each.
“Each councillor who was not a legislative leader was short paid by ₦13.3 million, while legislative leaders were short paid by ₦14.6 million,” Kazeem stated.
The court document revealed that for the first 13 months, all councillors were paid only ₦120,000 monthly, which was later increased to ₦180,000 for the remainder of their term, far below the approved rate by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Meanwhile, furniture and severance allowances were also allegedly underpaid. Legislative leaders were entitled to ₦5.2 million each, while others were owed ₦4.8 million each.
However, only ₦2.16 million was paid to each councillor.
“The sum of ₦2.7 million and ₦3 million was short paid to non-legislative and legislative leaders respectively under furniture allowance,” the document noted.
According to the claimants, “Out of ₦28.7 million due to each non-legislative councillor and ₦30.7 million for each legislative leader, only ₦10.1 million was paid, leaving an unpaid balance of ₦18.6 million and ₦20.5 million respectively.”
They added that despite repeated complaints and assurances that the arrears would be settled with severance pay in January 2025, they were shocked to find the outstanding sums unpaid.
“To worsen the situation, the Claimants’ severance and furniture allowances were equally not fully paid,” the statement reads.
The claimants stated that letters dated February 28 and March 4, 2025, were sent to the governor and council authorities, but they received no response.
They argue the councils “willfully failed to comply with the Reviewed Remuneration Package” approved by RMAFC.
