Councilors suspend Ogun LG boss Adedayo over alleged financial mismanagement for three months
…allegations against me baseless-Adedayo
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Councilors in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State on Thursday suspended the Chairman of the Local Government, Mr. Wale Adedayo for three months over allegations of maladministration and financial mismanagement.
The suspension was contained in a statement signed by seven Councilors and they are Hon. Fasheyi Akindele Adesuji
Leader of the House from Itele Ward 7, Hon. Bolutife Osunfisan, Deputy Leader, Imusin Ward 2, Hon. kemi Aliu, Chief Whip
Imobi Ward 10, Hon. Adeniyi Adenuga
Imusin ward 1, Hon. Abass sidikat
Owu ward 5, Hon. Biyi Oguntubo
Imobi ward 9 and Hon. Rotimi Olubode Williams, Ajebandele ward 11
The statement said “the Legislative Council received various allegations that need to be investigated and directed Mr. Adedayo to appear at its next sitting on Thursday, September 14, 2023. Fifteen allegations were levelled against the suspended chairman.
These allegations according to the lawmakers are withdrawal of N4million from LG account for empowerment in 2022, which never took place, wastage of N2million on Isese day on August 20, 2022, duty tour allowance for the chairman and other top functionarie N260,000 in June 2023, another duty tour allowance for the chairman and other top officials engagement in Abeokuta to the tune of N250,000, also ratified in June 2023.
Others are N426,000 purportedly spent on the production of report on 2020 Jigbo festival ijebu East when long before they were elected, claiming N350, 000 to the inauguration of Women in Politics in Ijebu East in 2022. The money was not released to the group in 2022, entertainment and other logistics expenses durring the commissioning of Legislative Building at N350,000 on 18th of April 2023 as well as another entertainment on that same commissioning of the Legislative Building at N295,000 same day, 18th of April 2023
Other alleged infractions against the LG boss were spending of second N8.2million to produce 20 chairs and tables, another N20million allocation from the state is also alleged to have disappeared while another N15million sent from the state allegedly went same way without any project to show for it.
Other allegations against the council boss included award of two boreholes at the cost of N1.8million each totaling N3.6million in August 2023 while he was also alleged to have collected N3 million monthly as security votes, but held on to the N300,000 monthly security vote of the Vice Chairman for about five month and had refused to pay up despite several interventions and meetings on the issue by the ALGON executive, led by Hon. Tunde Emiola Gazal.
Adedayo was also have been unable to account for over N2.5million left in the Project Account of the council by previous administration for the completion of a school at Kajola, ogbere while the school remains uncompleted till date.
Others were llegal tax collection from Okada riders and drivers via what the chaiman called “levy”without the approval of the Legislative Council, which is double taxation for the people of Ijebu East at this tough period.
The councilors said “Having received the above allegations, there is need for thorough investigation by the House. The House hereby resolved as follows:
That the Chairman steps aside for the proper conduct of investigations.
“That the Council Chairman, Hon. Wale Adedayo, is hereby suspended for three months pending the conclusion of the investigations and therefore directed to handover all the properties of the Council in his possession to the Vice Chairman, who will act as the Chairman during the suspension of the Chairman as provided in the 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
“That the Council Chairman is directed to appear before the House on the next sitting of the House on Thursday, September 14, 2023.That the Council Treasurer, through the Head of the Local Government Administration (HOLGA) should furnish the financial/bank statement of the Council in the last two years, along with other relevant documents and vouchers as the House may require in order to aid investigations.
The councilors said that the resolutions be copied Gov. Dapo Abiodun and the State House of Assembly and then adjourned thehouse.sitting to Thursday, September 14, 2023.
Recall that Adedayo, had accused Governor Abiodun of withholding the statutory Federal Allocation due to the state’s Local Governments in the last two years totaling about N10.8bn
Adedayo, in a letter addressed to former Governor of the state, Chief Olusegun Osoba had disclosed that the local governments since assuming office in 2021 had been receiving zero Federal Allocation.
The Council Boss asked Osoba, to urgently wade in, and convince Abiodun to allow the statutory Federal Allocation to Local Governments in Ogun State to get to each LGA, in line with the 1999 Constitution.
“Former President Muhammadu Buhari assisted the states and Local Governments with what we call palliatives today. They called it, SURE-P. The first sent to the 20 local governments in Ogun State was N2.5 billion. The second one was, N2.6 billion. The third was, N2.8 billion, while the fourth shortly before Buhari left office was N2.9 billion. Not a dime of these funds was released to ANY local government in Ogun State, Adedayo had alleged.
The LG boss had expressed frustration over the consequences of this zero allocation on grassroots governance saying that it had been difficult to deliver on the campaign promises and get dividends of democracy across the people.
The governor has however said that funds meant for local governments in the state are being handled by the constitutionally recognised Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) and it always ensured that the third tier of government received its required allocations for optimal performance adding that the latest meeting by the JAAC held last week was widely reported in the media.
The statement said “the meeting, which was held at the Conference Hall, Oba’s Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, over N5bn was shared among the 20 local government areas, out of which over N2 billion went into paying teachers.
“Between May 2023 when the Governor was sworn in for the second term and July 2023, the JAAC shared among 20 local governments N4.531b, N4.444b and N4.497b respectively on first line charges and just last week N5.2b was shared among the local governments for the month of August”.
The Local Government Chairmen in the state led by their leader, Hon Babatunde Emilola-Gazal on Tuesday evening have equally come to beg Gov Abiodun over the controversial allegations of diversion of the local government fund.
The Chairmen in a video that had since gone viral were seen prostrating and begging the governor to forgive them of the outburst that had been generating lots of knocks for the governor
The viral video particularly showed the ALGON Chairman, Babatunde Emilola-Gazal begging for forgiveness on behalf of his colleagues including Wale Adedayo, who wrote the petition.
Meanwhile, Hon Wale Adedayo has vowed to challenge his suspension by the councilors of the local government
Adedayo described his puported suspension as hoax and one that was forced down the throat of the lawmakers having been allegedly baited with N1m.
He said “the 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 agberos. They think we were going to react violently as they had prepared. We are in a democracy. We’ll challenge them democratically.
“All the allegations are baseless and without foundation. They forcefully marched the Clerk of the House to Abeokuta yesterday along with the local government’s HOLGA. So, we knew what the Governor was up to before the charade of this morning.
“Two of the Councillors were led to the Council at gunpoint. And immediately they finished all of them were taken in a vehicle to Abeokuta. Of course, I was told that N1m was given to each person that signed. We are not bothered. Once the EFCC comes, the books of the local government can also be opened for them to see”, the statement concluded
