Ogun: LG chairman suspended days after accusing governor of diversion of council funds

By solacebase.com On Aug 31, 2023

Emperor, Dapo Abiodun, Wale Adedayo, Balogun Ibrahim, Ogun State — (L-R) Wale Adedayo and Dapo Abiodun

By Damilare Adeleye

Seven of the 11 councilors of Ijebu-East Local Government of Ogun State on Thursday said they have suspended the council Chairman, Mr. Wale Adedayo, for three months.

The councilors announced the suspension through a letter signed by the Leader of the Ijebu-East Legislative Council, Hon. Akindele Fasheyi, and six others.

In the letter made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the councilors said Adedayo’s suspension was as a result of allegations of maladministration and financial misappropriation.

“The Legislative Council received various allegations that needed to be investigated, and it has directed Mr. Adedayo to appear at its next sitting on Sept. 14,” the councilors said.

It could be recalled that Adedayo had some days ago written a letter to a former governor of Ogun, Chief Olusegun Osoba, and the EFCC.

He had alleged that there has been zero allocation to the 20 local governments in the state since 2021 by the state government.

However, 18 of the 20 local government chairmen had on Tuesday visited the state governor, Mr Dapo Abiodun, to plead with him for forgiveness regarding Adedayo’s purported utterances and letter.

The Ijebu-East councilors have now leveled against Adedayo 15 allegations, which includes the withdrawal of four million Naira from the LG account for empowerment in 2022.

They claimed the program never took place.

The councilors also alleged that two million Naira was wasted on Isese day on Aug. 20, 2022.

“Other unexplained expenses include the N8.2 million sent from phase 2 of ‘the table and the chair’ project for schools out of which 20 chairs were made with N8.2 million.

“There is also the fact that an award of N20 million allocation from the state government is nowhere to be found.

“Another N15 million sent from the state went the same way without any project to show for it.

”There is also the inability on the Chairman’s part to account for over N2.5 million left in the Project Account of the council by the previous administration for the completion of a school at Kajola, Ogbere.

”The school remains uncompleted till date,” the councilors added.

The legislative council members therefore stressed the need for a thorough investigation into the allegations.

They explained that they resolved to suspend the Chairman for three months pending the conclusion of the investigations.

The councilors then directed that he should hand over all the council’s properties in his possession to the Vice-Chairman, who will act in his stead during the suspension period.

”This is as provided in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

They also directed the council’s Treasurer, through the Head of the Local Government Administration (HOLGA), to furnish the legislative body with the council’s financial/bank statement in the last two years.

”These must be with other relevant documents and vouchers, as the House may require, in order to aid investigation.”

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The Ijebu-East legislative council further directed that all the resolutions be copied to the state governor and the Ogun House of Assembly, while it adjourned to Sept. 14.

However, in his reaction, Adedayo described the allegations as “baseless and without foundation”, saying his suspension did not follow due process.

He vowed to challenge the councilors “democratically” as he does not have the mind to violently attack anyone.

Adedayo disclosed that armed policemen and thugs had stormed the council secretariat on Thursday morning.

“Suspension or impeachment of a local government chairman ought to follow due process. The first stage is a letter to me about the so-called infractions.

”Of course, they stormed the Council secretariat with more than 100 armed policemen this morning along with thugs and those we call ‘agbero’.

”They thought we were going to react violently as they had prepared for. But we are in a democracy and will challenge them democratically.

“All the allegations are baseless and without foundation. They forcefully marched the Clerk of the House to Abeokuta yesterday (Wednesday) along with the local government’s HOLGA,” he alleged.

Adebayo claimed that two of the councilors were led to the Council secretariat at gunpoint.

“Immediately they finished, all of them were taken in a vehicle to Abeokuta. Of course, I was told that one million Naira was given to each person that signed,” he further alleged.

Adebayo however said he was not bothered by the turn of events.

“Once the EFCC comes, the books of the local government can also be opened for them to see,” he said.