Alleged fund diversion: Armed policemen, thugs storm Ogun LG secretariat, chairman flees
Wale Adedayo, Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, has gone into hiding after some policemen and thugs invaded the council secretariat in Ogbere on Thursday morning.
Newsmen reported earlier that Adedayo had, in a letter to former Governor Segun Osoba and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of diverting local government funds.
Though Abiodun has debunked the allegation and other local government chairmen had prostrated to him to seek forgiveness, the matter took a new twist on Thursday when armed men and political thugs reportedly took over the Ijebu East LG secretariat.
The move, newsmen learnt, was in an attempt to remove the chairman for the comments he made against the governor.
When he was contacted, Adedayo confirmed the development, saying he was in hiding and his family had also relocated.
He told our correspondent that some thugs had been searching for him, saying, however, that he fears no man.
According to him, the armed men are still at the Ogbere secretariat at the time of filing this report.
He stated that the mission was to coerce the councillors into removing him from office, a development he said he cared less about.
His words: The policemen are still there and some (these agberos) thugs looking for me all over the place.
“I’m hiding presently, my family has also relocated, we are hiding at the moment. We are scared of our lives. They can’t kill me unless God says it’s time, let them go and bring the best of their assassins, they can’t kill me, unless God says it is time.
“If what I have said is a lie, let them dispute it. Those of them who apologised, that is their problem. I don’t have any issues with them. I’m not fighting with the Governor, I’m just saying it straight that look, during Chief Osoba’s time, there was a way local government allocations were done, during OGD’s (Otunba Gbenga Daniel) time, there was a way local government allocations were done. Now you are continuing the mess you said you met on ground, why don’t you correct it?
“Ogun State was among the States that signed off for financial autonomy for the local government, but you are not practising, why? Why are they not practising it here? So why are you sending men to come after me now, why?
“We are in a democracy, we are not in a military dictatorship. What business do police and thugs have with my local government? They want to coerce the councillors into impeaching me or suspending me from office, I don’t give a damn about that. I have set the records straight, I have stated what is at stake, and that is just it for me.
“I’m not going to beg anybody, that is what they want. They want me to write a retraction and beg, I’m not going to beg anybody. It is only God that I’m afraid of, I’m not afraid of any human being,” he said.
On why his colleagues prostrated before the governor, Adedayo said, “It is a democracy, anybody can pick the choice they want. It is either they want to serve the people who elected them or they want to serve the Governor, the choice is theirs.
“Let their constituents ask them how much have they got so far and how much have they expended on what? That is it, if it is true, they are begging, that means they were being given money, so how much have they collected so far and what did they use the money for, where is the balance? That is what their constituents should be asking them.”
Efforts to speak with the Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, proved abortive as she did not answer calls to her phone
