In a recent ruling, the Court of Appeal in Abuja has levied a fine of N50 million against Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, along with six others.
The fine stems from their failure to settle the outstanding balance of N3.4 billion from a larger N4.9 billion debt.
This debt originated from a Supreme Court judgment on May 7, 2021, favoring APC-elected officials who were dismissed by Governor Makinde in 2019.
The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous judgment, criticized Governor Makinde’s behavior, deeming it disrespectful to the nation’s judicial system.
This decision aligns with an earlier ruling from the High Court, directing Governor Makinde to clear the remaining debt.
The court’s decision comes as Governor Makinde challenges a prior garnishee order, which outlined installment payments.
The entire case traces back to the Supreme Court’s May 7, 2021 judgment, which declared the actions of the dismissed officials lawful and ordered the Oyo State Government, led by Governor Makinde, to compute and pay their entitled salaries and allowances within three months.
However, the state only paid N1.5 billion, prompting legal action from the affected officials, leading to the recent fines imposed by the Court of Appeal.
