• Says Supreme Court verdict has no effect

Kwara State Government said it was not possible to reinstate a council chairman removed from office seven years ago as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Alhaji Kamaldeen Ajibade, who spoke on the Supreme Court judgement in Ilorin yesterday, said the court only upheld the position of the Appeal Court quashing the removal of the Chairman, Mr. Abiodun Bamidele.

Ajibade said the court regarded the issue of tenure as an academic exercise because it had since expired.

He said: "The Supreme Court justices were of the opinion that the appeal will eventually be an academic exercise since the tenure that in question is no longer existing.

"The tenure had expired and there is nothing to be reinstated. So because of this, the entitlements of the erstwhile chairman deposited in an interest-yielding account since 2007, the court advised that it should be given to him.

"It is not that the government is bringing any fresh money to be paid to him. There is already money in an interest-yielding account."

Ilorin, the Kwara State capital was awash with the news of the reinstatement on Tuesday as ordered by the Supreme Court.

Bamidele, who was in the same party with former Governor Bukola Saraki during the latter's first term, ran into trouble waters when he opposed Saraki's interference with the council funds.

He was reported to have boldly opposed Saraki's move to introduce the Local Government Joint Account system, which is now in practice.

Baminde was eased out of office through the instrumentality of the state House of Assembly

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